The Orlando Magic have finally traded their All-Star center, Nikola Vucevic, to the Chicago Bulls. As well as trading Al-Farouq Aminu, the Bulls are trading Wendell Carter, Otto Porter Jr, and their 2021 and 2023 first round picks. The trade was first announced by Adrian Wojnarowski on twitter.
This trade gives Zach Lavine his first All-Star teammate ever, and the Bulls a big three of Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, and Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls are suddenly playoff contenders, and got rid of Otto Porter Jr’s All-Star contract for an All-Star center who deserves that much money.
The trade also helps the Orlando Magic as they head into rebuild mode. They have many young players who can develop into something special, as well as picks. Some Magic fans have wanted Vucevic gone for a long time, so that way young up and coming center Mo Bamba can flourish and show everyone his true potential. This trade also gives the Magic more cap space, as Vucevic and Aminu’s salaries combine for near $35 million!
It’s fair to say that this trade was a win-win for both teams.
In other news, Evan Fournier is on his way to Boston, as the Celtics managed to steal him away from the Magic for just two second-round picks! Fournier is averaging just under 20 points per game, and is coming into his prime as a player. The Celtics are currently 21-23, and need help in the scoring department. This trade will help them tremendously with scoring, which could lead to more wins.
As for the Magic, they have now acquired four picks in upcoming drafts from just these two trades. While they aren’t exactly Sam Presti in draft picks, they have their own little stash.
In other, other news, Detroit Piston guard Delon Wright is headed to the Sacramento Kings for Cory Joseph and two second round picks. Wright has bounced around a couple of different teams since he first entered the league (Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks), and is now averaging a career high 10.8 points per game. He is also averaging over 30 fantasy points per game, so if anyone is reading this and is in an ESPN or Yahoo Fantasy Basketball League, he’s a good player worth picking up in free agency or trading for. This move also saves the Pistons $6 million in cap space, as Wright is making $8.5 million this year.
These are certainly not all the trades done this year, but I couldn’t fit them all in on one blog. Over the next few days, many blogs covering the trade deadline will surface, discussing the winners and losers of trades leading up to the deadline, and their new homes. To make sure you don’t miss that, make sure you follow the NBA Blog, and as always, have an awesome day!
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Love your Blog. Good for the Bulls, wish them good luck. Hope their big three can be as successful as the NETS big three. When three stars suddenly find themselves on the same team playing together and not against one another, their competitive nature and ego can get in the way of success. As for the Magic, hope they can turn those draft picks into future All-Stars. Thanks for keeping me up-to-date on all the latest NBA move’s. Keep those Blog’s coming.
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