Typically, a player who averages a near 20-point double-double while splashing 40.2 percent from beyond the arc is excluded from buyout talk. Yet, Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vučević has been mentioned as a potential buyout candidate by NBA Insider Jake Fischer.

Of course, there’s more than meets the eye in the Bulls’ and Vučević’s cases. Chicago has completely revamped its roster, parting with veterans Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Lonzo Ball within a year. The Bulls have instead prioritized youth, drafting 18-year-old Noa Essengue, re-signing 25-year-old Tre Jones, and trading for 24-year-old Isaac Okoro.

Vučević is the lone Bull above the age of 30—he’ll turn 35 years old in October. Essentially, the 6-foot-10 big man is the last domino to fall in Chicago’s veteran purge.

As prefaced at the beginning of the article, Vučević remains a valuable asset. He averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 three-pointers per game a season ago, all while converting 53.0 percent of his field goals and 40.2 percent of his triples.

Nonetheless, making a general observation, and according to Fischer, a trade market for the former All-Star has yet to materialize. Fortunately for the Bulls, not everyone seems to be buying the common disinterest in Vučević.

NBA Insider Marc Stein asserts there will be a market for Vucevic

Fischer’s close colleague and NBA Insider Marc Stein adamantly stated he’s not buying the notion that there’s no market for Vooch. Later on, Stein highlighted the NBA’s renewed interest in big men, alluding to a market potentially coming to fruition between now and the trade deadline.

Stein hit on Vučević’s impressive production in his age-34 season and his expiring contract, which both make him a desirable trade candidate. Moreover, his contract is far from painfully exorbitant. Vučević is slated to earn $21.4 million next season. Therefore, he won’t be difficult to acquire.

Said talk of a Vučević is surely spiraling out of control. For starters, Fischer originally stated he foresees a buyout rather than a trade if one were to occur, not necessarily that a buyout is forthcoming. Furthermore, it’s safe to say Fischer isn’t Vučević’s biggest fan after regarding Jonas Valančiūnas as the more coveted trade asset this past season. As we know, the Denver Nuggets have since acquired Valančiūnas by sending Dario Šarić (only 210 total minutes a season ago) to the Sacramento Kings.

Despite making $10 million less than Vooch, also on a longer pact, Valančiūnas was traded for pennies on the dollar. However, regardless of a player’s perceived value, that doesn’t mean they are immovable.

The Utah Jazz traded Collin Sexton and a 2030 second-round pick to acquire Jusuf Nurkić. Sure, the Jazz aspired to trim their roster in preparation for an influx of youth. Yet, Sexton, who averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.0 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from three, was traded, alongside a draft pick, for a rotational big man? It doesn’t make much sense in the interim, but the trade eases the concern that Vučević, let alone anyone, is tradable.