In the end, change came with a bang for the Orlando Magic. So often the team that has stood pat at the trade deadline in recent seasons, in one swift move they have traded away franchise cornerstone Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls, in a deal headlined by young big Wendell Carter Jr. going in the other direction.
No sooner had the news broken, than Evan Fournier ended up being shipped to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a pair of second-round draft picks as well. Whatever about that deal, Fournier is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, moving on from Vucevic is seismic. Here is the deal in full.
NBA trade grades: Nikola Vucevic and Wendell Carter Jr. swap teams.
Chicago gets:
- Nikola Vucevic
- Al-Farouq Aminu
Orlando gets:
- Wendell Carter Jr.
- Otto Porter Jr.
- Two first-round picks
There is a lot to digest here, particularly how and why Vucevic was moved in the first place. Just before the All-Star break, talks of a move to the Celtics came and went, and that was kind of it. The organization knew what they had in Vucevic, who is still under contract for two more years after this one, on a deal that declines financially. Without him, their floor looked a lot scarier.
Now the Magic are facing into that reality and in truth another rebuild of sorts. For the Bulls, they have been lurking for a little while now as a feisty franchise that could make some moves. Suddenly they have a pair of All-Stars, and they may not be done trying to add talent yet. Let’s break down the deal for both sides.
NBA trade grades for the Orlando Magic
The feeling around the Magic for some time now has been that this version of their young core might actually be something sustainable and worth building around. The only problem with that is that it is currently headlined by Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, two players who will both be out for some time yet with ACL tears.
Around them, they have Chuma Okeke (who missed his rookie season with an ACL tear, nervous yet?) and Cole Anthony, who had looked impressive in his first season before being ruled out with a rib injury. Vucevic was the veteran presence who assured the team a double-double each night, and when everybody was healthy was the focal point of everything.
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Only health has gone against the Magic this season, and they have been decimated by injuries. So much so that despite the heroics of Vucevic, the organization are still going to have a high lottery pick this coming summer. The feeling with fans was that if a contender came looking for Vucevic, that they’d be ok with him leaving to try and win.
The Bulls are not a contender though, not yet, although they are clearly building something. Carter Jr. is the kind of player that the Magic were rumored to be interested in when he came out in 2018, but picked Mohamed Bamba instead (Bamba went sixth, Carter Jr. seventh to the Bulls). It may not quite feel like it now, but Carter Jr. should thrive under head coach Steve Clifford.
Defensively he will be a big help next to Isaac and Fultz in future, and it calls into question what exactly is going to happen to Bamba here. Porter Jr. is fine for now in that he can take some of the minutes created from Fournier’s departure. Long-term it is unsure if he has a future with the Magic, but he’ll get some run on a rebuilding team for now.
The two first round picks, while getting out from under Aminu as well (it just never happened for him after a meniscus tear), are a serious boost to the rebuilding efforts though. Although the Bulls are going to get better, those picks have value. Add it to the Magic’s youngsters, plus Carter Jr., and it is a solid haul. The only disappointment fans may feel now is not getting Lauri Markkanen back in the deal, as he is rumored to be available. For the Magic though, it’s a new era.
Grade: B
NBA trade grades for the Chicago Bulls
The Bulls had looked ripe for some movement throughout the year so far, and in Vucevic they have one of the most fundamentally sound big men in the game, who is bang in their prime. Pairing him offensively with LaVine should be fantastic, Vucevic in particular will have never played with somebody who can compliment him in the way LaVine does.
Defensively there are likely to be some issues, but when you also include Coby White with those two, that is an interesting trio to start games with. Certainly, the Bulls should be making the playoffs, which is a plus for Vucevic who has only gotten there twice with the Magic and wasn’t going to be heading back this season.
The only concern if you are a Bulls fan is that part of their future has now been traded away in order to win now. This is not a bad strategy, it has to happen at some time, but as the roster is currently constructed, they are not a contender. Adding the older Ball brother would help, and there are sure to be deals out there that could get them something for Markkanen.
Per a source: The Chicago Bulls are still looking at Lauri Markkanen trades. Chicago doesn't see him and Nikola Vucevic as a long-term fit next to each other in the frontcourt.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) March 25, 2021
A pair of first-rounders can feel steep if things don’t go well, while Carter Jr. is still only 21 and in his third year in the league. There is every chance he could yet blossom into a reliable and borderline star next to LaVine, but the Bulls opted instead to move him in order to go for a sure-fire hit in Vucevic.
Which again is no problem if it all works out. The Bulls have positioned themselves to be in a good place going forward and the allure of playing for such a famous franchise means they will always get meetings with free agents. It just seems like they are, as of now, a tier above what the Magic were at their peak under Vucevic.
A playoff team yes, but it is easy to get stuck in the middle of the pack quickly. One superstar moving conferences, such as Kevin Durant or James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets recently, and all of these good moves can becoming meaningless. Still, you have to make a move for an All-Star if you think you can get one, and the asking price was not astronomical. Vucevic is on a good deal too, very moveable if needed in the future. The right call for the Bulls on this deadline day.