Nikola Vucevic Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Magic C
3. Dallas Mavericks
Andrew Bogut is not the same player he was with the Golden State Warriors, so even if his contract didn’t come off the books this summer, the Dallas Mavericks would need a long-term solution at center leading into the 2017-18 campaign.
Nikola Vucevic isn’t the sexiest name on the market, but he’d definitely be an upgrade unless the Mavs suddenly decided Salah Mejri is the answer. Mark Cuban has repeatedly opted for short-term fixes to keep the team competitive in Dirk Nowitzki‘s final years, and a move like this wouldn’t be shocking in the slightest.
Hammering out a deal would once again depend on when the Mavs offered a first-rounder, since the players involved in a potential deal here would be washed up veterans. Our first example is Bogut and a future first for Vucevic.
Bogut is 32, he’s injury-prone and he’d be almost guaranteed to leave Orlando in free agency this summer, but including him in the deal would simply be to balance salaries with Vucevic, since the Mavs like Dwight Powell and would probably try to avoid including him.
The first-rounder — assuming it’s not too far in the near future — would aid Orlando in its inevitable rebuild through the draft.
But if the Magic have no interest in a two-month Bogut rental, another version of the deal could be Deron Williams, Dorian Finney-Smith and a future first-rounder.
D-Will’s $9 million salary also comes off the books this summer, but he could be a useful mentor for Payton in his limited time in Orlando, and perhaps the market for him wouldn’t be hectic enough to prevent the Magic from re-signing him as a steadier presence at the 1.
Finney-Smith is a 23-year-old rotation player averaging 4.4 points in 20.8 minutes per game on 39.4 percent shooting, but perhaps he would get a chance to grow with a rebuilding team like Orlando.
Even if he didn’t, either his salary or Nicolas Brussino‘s would be needed to make a deal centered around Vucevic and D-Will deal work financially.
However, knowing the Magic, a Vucevic trade may not be about rebuilding as much as freeing up frontcourt minutes for Aaron Gordon and Bismack Biyombo at their true positions. If that’s the case, they’ll want useful players who can help them make the leap to the playoffs next year, rather than just be two-month rentals.
As for the Mavs, they may prefer to put all their eggs in the free agency basket rather than trade away first round picks, contrary to what Cuban’s history indicates.