Pacers only moving Domantas Sabonis for Nikola Vucevic type of package
Regarding Domantas Sabonis, one NBA executive told me he doesn’t see the Pacers moving Sabonis unless they get a Nikola Vucevic type of package in return as Orlando did when they traded the All-Star center to Chicago last season.
Source: Michael Scotto @ HoopsHype
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Chuck Swirsky @ctsbulls
NBA Bulls Injury Report: Cook: Questionable-left eye contusion. Vucevic-probable. Ball, Caruso, Jones, Williams-Out. Simonovic – G League assignment. 6:45 pre home with Raptors @670TheScore @Audacy @Chicago Bulls radio network. – 7:54 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Bulls list Tyler Cook questionable vs. Raptors with his left eye contusion. Nikola Vucevic (left patella contusion) is probable. – 7:32 PM
JD Shaw @JShawNBA
NBA’s best from January 24:
– S. Gil-Alexander: 31 pts, 10 ast, 3 stl
– C. Paul: 27 pts, 9 reb, 14 ast
– N. Vucevic: 26 pts, 15 reb, 3 blk
– D. Graham: 25 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast
– A. Dosunmu: 24 pts, 8 ast, +15
– J. Hart: 22 pts, 10 reb, 6-11 fg
– K. Love: 20 pts, 11 reb, 24 min – 10:19 AM
Josh Robbins @JoshuaBRobbins
Can the Wizards pry Domantas Sabonis away from the Pacers before the NBA trade deadline? If so, what would a reasonable offer look like? Now on @The Athletic, @bkravitz and I discuss the possibilities surrounding the two-time All-Star.
theathletic.com/3089737/2022/0… – 9:24 AM
Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Nikola Vucevic helps Bulls survive Thunder’s late rally
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/12… – 4:50 AM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Final: Bulls 111, Thunder 110
Vucevic: 26 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk
Ayo: 24 pts, 10-14 FG (career-hiigh)
LaVine: 23 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast
Bulls nearly surrender 28-point second-half lead, but survive to move to 29-17 – 10:28 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Bulls 111, Thunder 110
Bulls, playing without DeRozan, almost blow 28-point, 3rd-quarter lead
Vucevic 26 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists
LaVine 23 points (6-19 FGs), 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals
Dosunmu 24 points (career-high), 8 assists, 5 rebounds
SGA 31 pts, 10 assists – 10:27 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
The Thunder slice a 28-point Bulls lead down to six points, fueled by an 11-point run now. Ayo was leading scoring, but fouled out. DeRozan isn’t available, LaVine is fresh off an injury and Vooch has been shaky in fourth quarters. Crunch time now for the Bulls. – 10:15 PM
Brad Botkin @bradbotkincbs
Really thought Vooch would be awesome with LaVine in Chicago. Just ain’t happening – 10:06 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
This is a heck of a bounceback from Nikola Vucevic. After one of his more abysmal outings of season in Orlando, he’s up to 26 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks vs. OKC
Shooting 10-16 and 4-6 from 3, and has multiple big makes in Q4 already as OKC attempts comeback – 10:04 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Monster game—and response—from Vucevic after a rough outing last night. – 10:02 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
24th double-double for Vucevic. He’s 8th in NBA – 9:52 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Vooch is 3-3 from 3. – 9:29 PM
Scott Agness @ScottAgness
Pacers forced to go small as Jonas Valanciunas has his way inside and drawn two fouls each on Bitadze and Jackson. So it’s Brissett at center. (Turner and Sabonis remain out with injuries.)
All tied at 35, early 2Q. – 8:44 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Vooch … ouch. – 8:11 PM
James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
Skills and drills with Torrey Craig and Domantas Sabonis. #Pacers pic.twitter.com/3zqh3YWhT8 – 7:04 PM
Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
DeMar DeRozan is out, Nikola Vucevic is a game-time decision and Zach Lavine is on a minutes limit vs OKC.
We’ve had individual players sit out to avoid Lu Dort, but a team-wide Dort ducking is a first. – 6:55 PM
Jamal Collier @JamalCollier
Nikola Vucevic (knee) will be a game-time decision – 6:45 PM
Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
Vucevic is game-time decision; knee is a little sore and swollen from hitting floor last night. #Bulls – 6:45 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
DeMar DeRozan will not play tonight. Billy Donovan says he “needs a break.”
Vooch will be a game time decision. His knee is swollen and sore from that fall last night.
Alex Caruso underwent surgery for his fractured wrist this morning and Donovan says it went very well. – 6:44 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
DeMar DeRozan out tonight. Vooch game-time decision. – 6:44 PM
Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
#Bulls center Nikola Vucevic listed as questionable for OKC tonight with left patella contusion. Zach LaVine & Javonte Green also questionable, but seems unlikely they’d travel to OKC and not play – 1:35 PM
Quinton Mayo @RealQuintonMayo
Kyle Kuzma’s most recent follow?
Domantas Sabonis, of course. pic.twitter.com/37pRm27Mwq – 1:25 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Bulls upgrade Zach LaVine and Javonte Green to questionable vs. OKC. They’re meeting team on the road today
Nikola Vucevic is also questionable with a left patella contusion – 12:31 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Nikola Vucevic is a career 49% shooter.
But he has failed to crack 40% in half his 38 games this season, including 10 under 35%.
More on another frustrating night for Vucevic @NBCSChicago: nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/… – 10:32 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Nikola Vucevic: “Shooting is part of the game. I was more disappointed in my focus defensively, some of the things I’ve been pretty good at so far this year – getting back-cut, going for pump fakes, not being in the right positions in pick-and-roll, things like that.” – 9:03 PM
David Baumann @DavidBaumannORL
Magic snap a 4-game skid, get their 9th win of the year over a depleted Bulls team, 114-95. (Magic only NBA team still in the single digits in the W column.)
DeRozan scored 41.
Magic held Vooch to 4/19 FGs.
23 for Moe Wagner, 18 for Franz. 19 for WCJ. 15p,7a,5r for Suggs. – 8:55 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Vooch wants more than one game. – 8:51 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Vucevic: “The play Grayson Allen made has no place in basketball.” Called it a “very, very dirty play.” – 8:50 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Vooch going in on Grayson Allen … – 8:50 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Vooch on his performance: “I was more disappointed in my focus defensively … things that I can control. I didn’t bring the energy and focus needed to win the game.” – 8:48 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Nikola Vucevic, via Zoom from Orlando: “The shooting is part of the game. I was more disappointed with my focus defensively.” – 8:48 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Vooch says he didn’t twist his knee on that fall in the fourth quarter. It was just solid contact on his knee cap — painful, but “no issues” right now. – 8:47 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Donovan just raised salient point: Bulls starting backcourt of White/Dosunmu had 0 assists.
Bulls only had 10 as team. DeRozan and Vucevic had 3 each. – 8:44 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Final: Magic 114, Bulls 95
DeRozan: 41 pts (season-high)
Vucevic: 13 pts, 5 tov, 4-19 FG
Moe Wagner leads way with 23 pts for Orlando
Night ends with a string of Magic dunks and trash talk
Bulls are 28-17 – 8:31 PM
John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Insert joke about Vooch still being on Magic payroll here. But seriously … is something wrong with him physically? Like, that really, really was not good. Every member of the extended Wagner family got buckets on him, even Aunt Helga. – 8:31 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Magic 114, Bulls 95
Bulls lose to team with NBA’s worst record
DeRozan 41 points
White 22 points
Vucevic 4-19 FGs, 5 TOs
Bulls 22 TOs; 10 assists – 8:31 PM
Cody Taylor @CodyTaylorNBA
Vucevic has fouled out with 3:30 left in the game. He will finish with 13 points and 13 rebounds on 4-19 shooting. – 8:24 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Vucevic fouls out with 13 points, 13 rebounds, 5 TOs and 4-19 shooting. – 8:23 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Vooch successfully campaigns to stay in the game after landing hard on his left knee after getting tangled up with Wendell Carter Jr. – 8:23 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Vooch walks off on his own power … Grayson Allen no where in sight for that one. – 8:22 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Nikola Vucevic just went down awkwardly after Wendell Carter Jr. tripped on a drive. Was down for a few seconds, walked gingerly to bench, but is staying in the game – 8:22 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Nikola Vucevic stays down after tripping over Wendell Carter Jr., who had slipped on floor. Vucevic grabbed his left knee when he first fell. – 8:21 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Challenge was a loss on Vooch offensive foul. – 8:02 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Rough night for Vooch, who has tallied more turnovers (5) than made baskets (4) while taking more shots than any other Bulls player. He’s now sitting on five fouls after being called for back-to-back offensive fouls. – 8:01 PM
KC Johnson @KCJHoop
Vooch is 4-16 with 5 TOs, including B2B offensive fouls. Donovan calls timeout to challenge second one. – 7:59 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Nikola Vucevic just picked up his 5th foul at 11:12 mark of fourth quarter. Moe Wagner has drawn charges on him on back-to-back possessions – 7:59 PM
Cody Taylor @CodyTaylorNBA
Nikola Vucevic is having a tough-shooting night in Orlando: He has 8 points and 10 rebounds on 3-13 shooting. Probably related, he punched a chair when he just checked out of the game. – 7:32 PM
Darnell Mayberry @DarnellMayberry
Nikola Vučević has to be much better in the second half for the Bulls to have any chance of winning this game. Wendell Carter Jr. and the Wagner brothers are going right at him. How’s Vooch going to respond in the second half? – 6:58 PM
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
Marcus Smart on returning from COVID and quad injury: “It felt great. Just having to sit on the sideline and not being out there with my team to battle, it hurt.”
He got kneed in the thigh by Sabonis against IND and it swelled up and made walking tricky for a bit. – 6:27 PM
Cody Taylor @CodyTaylorNBA
Nikola Vucevic is back in Orlando pic.twitter.com/nuEehEjqgd – 6:07 PM
More on this storyline
Sabonis is one of the more interesting names that may find a new home before the NBA trade deadline comes and goes. He’s an All-Star and one of the best passing bigs in the game. According to a league source, Fox is not on the table in a swap for the big, as reported on Wednesday. Neither is Tyrese Haliburton. Can the Kings still land the 25-year-old big man? Maybe, but it would have to be for some package of picks and players and the price is likely going to be high. -via Kings Beat / January 20, 2022
The Kings remain active in trade conversations, informing teams in the marketplace that they want to build around Fox and second-year guard Tyrese Haliburton, sources said. The Kings have informed Fox and his representation, agent Chris Gaston of Family First Sports, that they do not want to trade him and want to center the team around him and Haliburton. Team sources said any potential deal around Fox for Pacers center Domantas Sabonis will not happen. -via The Athletic / January 19, 2022
Multiple teams are operating under the assumption that Domantas Sabonis has wanted out of Indiana for over a year. Now, outlets in Indiana have refuted this. Maybe that’s being floated to media in order to try and pry him loose with tension. -via Action Network / January 19, 2022
