Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Nikola Vucevic
Orlando Magic Receive: C Cody Zeller, F Miles Bridges, G Malik Monk, CHA 2022 1st Round Pick, CHA 2024 1st Round Pick
The Charlotte Hornets have made some enormous strides this year and currently find themselves 17-18 at the All-Star break. They are currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference standings with the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors, which has to feel like a major win for everyone in this organization.
While they have not had a winning season since the 2015-16 NBA season, the Charlotte Hornets definitely look like a strong team this year and could potentially make the playoffs. With 7 players averaging in double-figures this season offensively, the Charlotte Hornets are a very tough team to guard, especially when rookie LaMelo Ball begins taking over a game.
He is the clear front-runner for the Rookie of the Year Award right now and has helped put the Hornets in a prime position to be successful for the second-half of the season, but they still have a lack of production from their frontcourt.
Cody Zeller has only played in 18 games this season due to injury and while he has had some great performances, P.J. Washington is still growing as a player. This team could really benefit from adding an All-Star caliber center, which is why Nikola Vucevic could be a prime trade target for Charlotte.
Vucevic fits right in with the Hornets style of play and could thrive in pick-and-roll situations with guards like LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier. While it would cost them some key guys like Bridges, Monk and Zeller, players like Vucevic do not hit the market every day, which is why this could be a very intriguing opportunity for the Hornets.
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For the Magic, they are getting close to being in last place in the Eastern Conference and at this point, with all of the injuries they have had, they are not going to find much success during the second-half of the season. With Vucevic’s value being at an all-time high right now and with this organization not really going anywhere, it makes sense for them to hit the refresh button and take a step back in terms of reloading their roster.
With that said, let’s take a closer look as to why this trade involving Nikola Vucevic makes sense for both the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Hornets.
