The Los Angeles Lakers set their sights on Deandre Ayton entering free agency after he and his former team, the Trail Blazers, agreed to a buyout. LA went from needing a starting center to giving a former No. 1 overall pick what could be his final prove-it opportunity in the NBA. If things go south, the Lakers could pursue another center who may become available before the February deadline.
Have you ever heard of Nikola? Of course you have. Everyone knows Nikola Vucevic! The center plays for the Bulls, as he has for the past four-and-a-half seasons. The trade deadline is still far, far away, but it's never too early for trade speculation.
NBA insider Jake Fischer recently said that there hasn't been much of a market for Vucevic since this past year's deadline. He said that entering the 2025-26 season, he thinks it's likelier that the 34-year-old (who will turn 35 in October) will be bought out versus traded. If the Bulls did buy him out, the Lakers could be all over that, as he'd be a solid backup (or replacement) for Ayton.
However, another NBA insider, Marc Stein, isn't convinced that Vucevic won't have a trade market between now and February's deadline. He said so on the CHGO Bulls Podcast.
"I'm NOT buying the notion that there is no market for Vooch."@TheSteinLine believes Bulls center Nikola Vucevic could still be a trade candidate before next season's deadline.
— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) July 28, 2025
Thoughts, Bulls Nation? pic.twitter.com/bVzEXaEfLr
Will Nikola Vucevic be a Lakers trade target before February deadline?
It's too soon to know how the first half of the season will play out for LA. The first few weeks will be interesting for Ayton, who burned bridges in Portland because of his poor effort and bad attitude. If that version of Ayton shows up in LA, it will get ugly fast.
The Lakers aren't in championship-or-bust mode with LeBron (thanks to Luka), but that doesn't mean they won't be looking for a center upgrade come deadline time. Vucevic would be a short-term fix, as he's on an expiring contract, making $21.8 million next season. He aligns with LA's plan to maintain future financial flexibility.
Vucevic isn't a top name on the trade market (clearly), but he could change that by having a solid first half of the season, which would increase interest from teams that need a center. One of those teams could be the Lakers.
Not only will things depend on how Ayton is playing, but also on how LA is faring in the conference standings. We're still months away from knowing what kind of team the Lakers will be.