The Orlando Magic ended up finishing with a 33-40 record last season. Granted they were below .500, it was good enough to capture the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. To hardly anyone’s surprise, the Magic were ultimately trounced by the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in round one of the playoffs. Now, they are looking to make some moves, and trading Nikola Vucevic could be one of them with the Chicago Bulls being a potential landing spot.
It has been another can of worms for the Magic this season. As of when this was written, they currently sit at 13-23. The only squad with a worse record in the East is the Detroit Pistons.
Certainly, the injury bug has not treated Orlando too kindly this season. Forward Jonathan Isaac is still rehabbing from a torn ACL he endured back in the bubble, whereas guard Markelle Fultz is coincidentally dealing with a torn ACL of his own. That is not even the entire story, either. Thus, if the team was healthier, things would likely be different.
However, that does not change the present circumstances the Magic are facing. Despite starting the year on an encouraging 6-2 note, they look like a group that may be in dire need of a fresh start.
Given the team’s poor performance this season, trade rumors galore have been linked to several players on the team. Those players include, but are not limited to Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, and Terrence Ross.
While teams have expressed interest in the above-mentioned trio, there is another Magic player who has drawn a plethora of interest. The player in question is All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic.
According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Orlando has not expressed great interest in shopping their franchise player. Part of the reason why the Magic are likely not too intrigued by the idea of trading their star is due to his current contract situation.
Via Buckley’s transcription (originally per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer), Vucevic still has “two more seasons” to go prior to his contract expiring. Even if the Magic had a sudden change of heart, they would demand the mother lode in return for their highly valued center.
The fact that the Magic could receive a great haul in return for Vucevic is what makes this all worth discussion, though. Due to their various injuries, the team is clearly going nowhere this season. In all honesty, the team has not necessarily enjoyed any recent success despite two consecutive postseason berths.
On both of those notes, it could be worth shopping Vucevic if the price is right. The international player is getting no younger in being 30, so striking a deal while the iron is hot may be in the Magic’s best interest.
The Southeast Division team has a fine collection of young players, so one could argue holding on to their 30-year-old star may not be worth it. Vucevic’s trade value is sky-high right now given his All-Star campaign, making it an excellent time for them to enter a rebuilding phase.
According to Buckley’s piece, the Bulls would be an interesting fit for Vucevic’s services. Like any trade, it would boil down to what Chicago would be willing to cough up. The primary positive to consider is that it would give them a second star alongside Zach LaVine.
The following information from the same Bleacher Report article provides more insight on how this would change the outlook of the Bulls’ future.
“Get him in the same offense as Zach LaVine—a nightly contributor of 28.7 points, 5.1 assists and 3.5 triples—and the Bulls would already be forcing defenses into pick-your-poison scenarios. That’s before factoring in Lauri Markkanen (19.1 points, 2.9 threes), Coby White (16.2 points, 5.0 assists) or whomever else Chicago could keep out of this blockbuster.”
Pairing Vucevic alongside LaVine would definitely alter the dynamic of the Bulls’ franchise. The latter was an All-Star for the first time this season, and the injection of Vucevic would take some much-needed pressure away from the guard.
While that is true, it is probable the Bulls would need to ship away Lauri Markkanen and/or Thaddeus Young in a hypothetical scenario. They would likely need to include a couple other pieces, too, in order to catch the Magic’s attention.
On paper, that may sound like quite a bit for Chicago to give up in return for Vucevic. At the same time, adding another marquee name would help bring the Windy City back to relevance.
It is fair to point out the Bulls would not be getting a defensive anchor if they pulled out all the stops to get Nikola Vucevic. He is not exactly the best rim protector there is and is only averaging 0.6 swats a game this season.
Despite his defensive deficiencies, Vucevic is arguably having the best season of his career. The Magic All-Star is averaging 24.6 points, 11.6 boards, and 3.7 dimes a night for his team. Furthermore, if he can sustain it, his 41.2 percent mark from long range would be the highest clip of his career.
Because of those high-octane numbers, it is worth reiterating that the Magic are not going to move him for peanuts. As stated, they are not too comfortable trading him right now in the first place.
Nevertheless, it does not mean Vucevic is not going to continue to have suitors in the coming days. He is an elite big man, and many teams, let alone the Bulls, would love to have Nikola Vucevic.
