By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Vucevic is no stranger to blockbuster NBA trades, having been part of the four-team deal that sent him to the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012.
However, even that trade can’t compare to the one that saw Luka Doncic move from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers—arguably one of the biggest trades ever in the League.
Talking to Meridian Sport, the experienced Montenegrin center revealed how he received the news of the trade that shook the world of basketball last February.
“That night, I went to bed early,” Vucevic begins the story. “I woke up in the morning and saw I had around 100 new messages! I immediately thought I had been traded. Where do I go now? Where do I move? What’s happening? But a few moments later, I realized it wasn’t about me, because even if I turn off my phone, my wife can always reach me. And since she didn’t call, I knew. I looked at the messages and saw – Luka! I quickly went to check what Shams had posted, and I couldn’t believe it! I was shocked, just like the whole world!”
The NBA veteran, who is playing his 14th season in the League, shared his thoughts on the Mavs‘ decision to trade Luka to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis.
“I don’t understand the move to trade a player like Luka. The guy is 25, on the rise, last year he carried the team to the finals, and now they would have been close again… You know what really shows Luka’s greatness and what kind of talent he is? The fact that Anthony Davis now looks like an average player, no one mentions him, but he’ll be in the Hall of Fame and he’s great. What I don’t like in the whole story is how they talk about Luka, saying he’s unprepared, mentioning his weight. It’s not fair for a club to do that to a player who has given so much and means so much to the fans… It’s unprofessional.”
However, he believes Doncic landed in a great situation for him.
“I know it’s hard for him to leave, he loved Dallas a lot, but he’s the right type of player for Los Angeles and the Lakers. He has charisma, he has everything basketball-wise and marketing-wise. When everything settles, when he fully recovers from the injury, and they build the team for him – everything will be great. Many great players have played there, among the greatest in history, and he belongs there.”
Vucevic has been playing for the Chicago Bulls since 2021 and has remained part of the team despite players like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine recently leaving.
“I have a year and a half left on my contract. We’ll see what Chicago decides in the summer. As for the trade talks, I try not to get into that. It’s beyond my control. This year, there have been a few more concrete trade rumors than in the past, but nothing happened. I’m staying and focusing on this season.”
He recently crossed the 10,000 career rebounds mark in the NBA. He is currently in 48th place on the all-time list, but he is by far the highest-ranked player from the former Yugoslavia.
“I didn’t even know I was close to that, I don’t pay attention. During the game, they showed the stat on the screen, the announcer in the arena announced it… Of course, it feels good to have reached that point. The number is nice, but it speaks more about how long I’ve been at a high level and that I maintain that level. As a center, I do what is expected of me. I always try to be consistent with my rebounding. That’s one of my greater strengths, especially in defense. It’s the final step of defense, getting the rebound after the first shot. I’ve always tried to be good at that, and I’m glad the number reflects that. I hope it keeps growing.”
He touched on another trade, with Serbian guard Bogdan Bogdanovic moving from the Atlanta Hawks to the Los Angeles Clippers.
“It’s a great organization, excellent coach, exceptional players… They have high goals, which is great for Bogdan. Plus, Los Angeles, great city, nice weather… I mean, it was good for him in Atlanta too, except for this season. For Bogdan, it’s always better to chase more serious results, and the Clippers are playing well. The important thing is that he is happy.”
Vucevic also talked about European basketball, particularly Crvena zvezda, the club he is a well-known fan of.
“I watch almost every game. If I can, I definitely follow. They’re having a great run in the EuroLeague, they’re even fighting for a spot in the top six. But, there, you never know. There are a lot of strong teams. I hope they can stay in the Top 6, which in itself would be a huge success. They also won the Cup. It’s a good season despite many injuries, especially to Bolomboy, which was a big handicap.”
He didn’t want to comment on the possibility of the NBA creating an independent league in Europe but rather talked about European players’ impact in the NBA.
“The NBA has known for some time that there is something good happening in Europe, but lately, it has become more pronounced. They’ve probably realized they can do something beneficial for both the NBA and European basketball. Not only is the number of European players in the best league increasing, but they are also among the best. One of them is indeed the best – Jokić. But there are also others, Luka, Giannis, and all of us who have serious roles. The NBA has started to think about why and how this is happening. First, they went to Africa, now they’re planning Europe. But, you know how the NBA is – they always try to find something better, to be ahead of everyone, to evolve, to improve… Whether it’s always good or not, we’ll see. But usually, it turns out well,” Nikola Vucevic concluded.