The Orlando Magic have traded all-star centre Nikola Vucevic and forward Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., and two first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Vucevic is in the midst of a career season, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He’s improved his three-point stroke in 2020-21, converting at a 40.6 per cent clip from downtown.
The 30-year-old is under contract through the 2022-23 campaign, making him an integral piece of the Bulls’ offence for both the present and future. Vucevic and Zach LaVine give the Bulls a potent one-two punch as they try to climb the Eastern Conference standings.
Carter Jr. gives the Magic an intriguing young centre to help fill the void Vucevic leaves behind. The seventh-overall pick in the 2018 draft is averaging 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds this season.
This move is the first of what could be many for the Magic ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. Orlando sits 14th in the Eastern Conference and has a multitude of attractive trade pieces still remaining on the roster.
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