The Chicago Bulls acquire Nikola Vucevic on NBA Trade Deadline day.
Anything can happen on deadline day in the NBA, and thus far the Chicago Bulls are the big winners cashing in on big man Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic for Wendell Carter Jr, Otto Potter, and two slightly protected first-round picks. The Bulls also received Al Farouq Aminu from Orlando.
This is a huge win for the Bulls who are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Billy Donovan has historically been a good big man coach, as his former center in Oklahoma City Steven Adams flourished for years in OKC.
On the other end of the deal, the Magic came out well too. They recouped two players who could help them begin their rebuild by being veteran leaders, or they could flip them again for more assets. They also got two first-round picks (2021, 2023, which are always valuable, especially for rebuilding teams.
The Magic were not done there, they are poised to be the biggest sellers at this year’s trade deadline as they have also moved Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets and Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics.
This deal deserves an “A” for both teams because this seems like a fair deal for both parties as they both got what they needed for the direction the franchises are heading in. It will be intriguing to see if Chicago and Orlando are done for the day, or if one, or both teams have more moves to make.
Closing thoughts on this deal; coach Donovan is getting an All-Star center to pair with fellow All-Star Zach Lavine to potentially anchor the Bulls for years to come. As for the Magic, this kicks off yet another rebuild for the struggling Orlando Magic.