Nikola Vucevic Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Magic C

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Feb 1, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) shoots over Indiana Pacers forward Lavoy Allen (5) during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Indiana Pacers

Is this the trade the Indiana Pacers need to get their season back on track? It’s hard to say for sure. But with Al Jefferson being deadweight and the Pacers entering the All-Star break riding a six-game losing streak, Vucevic is a perfectly attainable option.

While Magic fans would hardly be blamed for not being jazzed about trading for a 32-year-old Al Jefferson (plus the remaining two years and $20 million left on his contract), netting a first-rounder either 2017 or 2018 would make it worth it.

Though that pick would likely fall somewhere in the late teens or early 20s over the next year or so, that’s acceptable value for a double-double who can’t defend like Vucevic. Jefferson could be a veteran mentor for Gordon and Biyombo in the meantime.

Averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game off the bench, it’s not like Jefferson is completely washed either. He hasn’t lived up to expectations in Indiana as a Sixth Man of the Year dark horse, but he’s still shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and could be a decent — not great, but decent — bench piece in Orlando.

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Though the Pacers would have to get Vucevic to buy into another bench role — this time behind the 20-year-old Myles Turner — they’d be able to sell him on the idea of being a super-sub for an actual playoff team.

Some might say the Pacers are in need of a bigger roster blowup, since the Jeff Teague–Paul George–Thaddeus Young-Myles Turner core hasn’t blown anyone away. But let’s face it: Midseason blowups are tricky, and for a team that currently holds a playoff spot, an easier alternative would be retooling for the postseason.

However, the NBA’s 19th-ranked defense doesn’t need another poor interior defender, even if their 14th-ranked offense would enjoy the boost.

If Larry Bird no longer believes this core can contend in the future, adding another piece to it wouldn’t make as much sense as keeping the team’s first-rounder, adding him to Turner as the Pacers’ future core and restructuring the rest of the roster over the summer.

Next: 10 NBA Teams That Should Trade For Eric Bledsoe

Orlando might also view Jefferson as unnecessary baggage, even with a first-rounder attached.

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