The NBA offseason was rocked by a potential blockbuster that almost saw Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas leave his team to join EuroLeague powerhouse Panathinaikos Athens.
Such a move would have ranked among the most significant transfers in recent basketball history and raised questions about whether other high-profile NBA players, still in their prime, might consider following a similar path to Europe.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is one player who could have faced that decision. For now, however, Vucevic has made it clear that his focus remains squarely on the NBA, where he hopes to conclude his career.
“Actually, I have to talk to him about asking what was going on,” the player told Lukas Katilius of BasketNews, referring to Valanciunas’ offseason saga.
“But for me, I would like to stay in the NBA as much as I can,” he continued. “I think I still have a few very good years ahead of me.”
Reflecting on a strong 2024–25 season, Vucevic added, “I feel very good that I had a really good season last year. So hopefully I can stay there for a couple more years and then go from there.”
Looking ahead to the end of his career, he emphasized, “But yeah, if I can stay in the NBA until the end and retire there, that would be perfect,” Vucevic stated. “It is the best league. I’ve been there my whole life.”
More about it: https://t.co/B2bdkeKJVm
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 28, 2025
