Boston Celtics Receive: C Nikola Vucevic, NYK 2023 2nd Round Pick (Top-40 Protected)
Orlando Magic Receive: BOS 2023 1st Round pick, BOS 2025 1st Round Pick
New York Knicks Receive: C Daniel Theis
One big thing to mention about this trade is that the Celtics have a $28.5M trade exception from the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade they could use to absorb most of Nikola Vucevic’s contract. This will make Boston a key team to watch in NBA trade rumors. The Knicks are one of the few teams in the league with a vast amount of cap space, which is why they could easily be a team pulled into this trade scenario to acquire Daniel Theis.
With the Celtics having Tristan Thompson and Robert Williams, Theis is a player that the Celtics could easily move on from without hesitation. He is owed $5M this season, eating up some cap space Boston could utilize to acquire another high-level talent like Vucevic and he really does not bring much value to this team that someone else cannot replicate.
One of the biggest needs for the Boston Celtics over the years has been in their frontcourt, as they have not had a reliable big man they could lean on since Kevin Garnett. This offseason, they signed Tristan Thompson and he has been solid for them, but bringing in Nikola Vucevic would be a game-changer for this organization as they look to make it back to their first NBA Finals since 2010.
Paying some extra tax money to have Walker, Tatum, Brown and Vucevic together fighting for a championship is well worth it for Celtics’ ownership and acquiring the former All-Star center would definitely present them with the best chance to win a title this season.
The only question mark surrounding this trade scenario is the Orlando Magic and their willingness to move on from their All-Star big man. Nikola Vucevic is an All-Star and is one of the only bright spots for a team that has been tanking in the standings recently.
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He is and has been their best player, but he is 30-years old and at the peak of his career. The Magic are in no position to compete in the Eastern Conference, which is why trading him away may be the most fair thing for them to do not only for his career, but for the state of their organization moving forward.
The Magic need to get younger and build for the future, which is what this trade allows them to do with the two first-round picks they receive. The only question is whether this is enough and if it makes enough sense for them to do.
