Nikola Vucevic knows the signs of when a team and a player are headed in opposite directions. It’s happening in Chicago. The Bulls are building toward the long-term future, eyeing draft picks and shopping their top talent in the process.

Vucevic has been at the center of trade rumors all season, but a big slump has come right before the NBA trade deadline. His three-point shooting has dropped off dramatically this January as he is shooting the deep ball at a 26.1% clip. He has been over 40% every other month this season.

Since JaVale McGee left the Golden State Warriors in 2018, the team has been short on quality depth at the center position. The team should pay the price to change that with one particular player.