Chicago Bulls fans are tired of talking about it at this point, but this team has been wallowing in the miserable middle of the NBA for far too long. As the NBA Draft and the free agency period approach, there is one clear move the Bulls should make first to begin escaping their current situation: Trade Nikola Vucevic to the highest bidder.

It’s something seemingly every Bulls fan has been asking for quite some time. Of course, this isn’t meant to be a knock on Vuc’s ability. He’s clearly still a skilled big on the offensive end that rebounds at a high level. But he’s not raising Chicago’s ceiling, especially when they’re stuck in the middle like they have been for these past few years.

Vucevic simply doesn’t bring to the table the kind of rim protection or mobility needed in the modern NBA, and his contract doesn’t make enough sense for the Bulls to continue keeping him around. Number nine will be making north of $21 million again next season.

Bulls fans have complained for years about the Vucevic experience on the defensive end. The big man simply isn’t a difference-maker on that end of the floor, with slow feet that repeatedly cause him to get burned by more skilled bigs or guards in pick-and-roll.

Chicago should trade Nikola Vucevic immediately

Offensively, Vucevic’s close-range and mid-range game are still above average, especially for a center. But they’re simply not enough of a difference-maker for us to say Nikola has a permanent spot on this team going forward.

The good thing here is that Vuc will likely still carry some trade value on the open market this summer. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers that have need for an upgrade at the center position could have interest, and it could be the right opportunity Chicago needs to make a move.

It’s fairly obvious that the Bulls need to get younger, and embracing a rebuild, even if it’s a soft rebuild, is a great way to go about doing that. Vucevic is still a useful player, but he’s just not going to chance the equation for the Bulls.

We know that Chicago’s front office has been stubborn and has not wanted to move in the direction of a rebuild for some time now. But it’s about time to make a change, and moving Nikola Vucevic should be the first thing the Bulls’ front office looks at doing in a few short weeks.