NBA trade grades (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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.
March 25, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/25/nba-trade-grades-nikola-vucevic/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h3>Grade: A-</h3>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Trade Grades: The Pistons and Kings swap guards" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/25/nba-trade-grades-pistons-kings/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/25/nba-trade-grades-nikola-vucevic/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/25/nba-trade-grades-pistons-kings/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Trade Grades: The Pistons and Kings swap guards </a> </div>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—>">