It's early into the Bulls offseason and we already have our first trade rumor. This rumor is coming straight out of Serbia and links to the Bulls to another European player. The Bulls already have one player stashed away in Europe in
Center Marko Simonovic. Apparently, the Bulls are now interested in acquiring the MVP of the EuroLeague from this past season.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/1401995481128083460?s=20
Both guard Vasilije Micic and Marko Simonovic share the same agent. So one has to wonder if this is something that their agent is trying to manufacture to get them together. Whether that's the case or not we still need to break down if Micic would be a good fit for the Bulls.
Micic by the numbers
Micic was named the EuroLeague MVP this past season after averaging 16.7 PPG, 48.9 %FG, 4.9 APG, & 2.6 RPG. All around he's a good player. He's more of a scoring guard but his 5 assists per game show that he has potential as a facilitator. Micic was also named the Final Four MVP and helped his team win the league championship. He's all-around a solid player in the EuroLeague. Take a look at some of his highlights from last season.
https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1282340188111478784?s=20
If you look at his career stats he still looks like he's a solid NBA prospect. Throughout his 6 season career, he's averaged 11.4 PPG, 46.3 %FG, 4.5 APG, & 2.1 RPG. He's continued to show improvement year over year. He is looking like he's edging closer to landing on an NBA roster.
Would he be a good fit for the Bulls?
At this stage, yes he would. The Bulls need guard help. He looks to be a formidable guard that can play the position efficiently. He's played at a higher level of competition being in the EuroLeague since 2014. It also appears that the Bulls do have interest in him. The team's vice president of player personnel was recently scouting Micic in Istanbul.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/1401997906547257345?s=20
The Bulls think he could be successful at the next level. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas has had success when pulling players from Europe. So don't be surprised if he tries to grab Micic from the Thunder. The hard part it knowing what the Thunder will want in return for Micic.
How could the Bulls pull off this trade?
For starters, there's always a gamble when taking a player from Europe. I guess that's technically true about every player however fans seem to always remember when a team grabs a "star" from Europe that becomes a bust.
With that being said the Bulls would need to make sure they don't overpay for Micic. The Thunder already have an absurd amount of draft picks so they likely won't be looking for only picks. Maybe they are looking for a couple of young assets. Maybe they would take Simonovic and another young Bulls player in return for Micic. At this point, it's too hard to tell what they would want for a player who hasn't even joined their team. Right now Micic's value is at its highest. Fresh off a championship and an MVP I'm sure multiple teams will reach out. The Bulls need to ensure they don't overpay if they truly want him.
Would Micic be worth it?
I don't think this guy is going to be a star. I think he could have a solid career in the NBA but not at an All-Star level. But hey a lot of people say that about European players and then are proven wrong. Maybe this could be a scenario where he becomes the guy and helps turn Chicago's fortunes around.
The Bulls need quite a bit of help at the point guard position. Micic could be a cheaper option that can help this team get to where they need to be. The Bulls are likely going to move quite a few pieces this offseason so why not get someone who can help at the guard position and not break the bank? All we can do now is wait and see what comes out of this. Will the Bulls have two European players join the team this upcoming season? Or will they both be stashed in Europe another year? One thing remains certain, the Bulls need a new point guard.
