The Orlando Magic had a fire-sale at the NBA trade deadline, moving on from All-Star center Nikola Vucevic, forward Aaron Gordon, and guard Evan Fournier in a matter of hours.
All three players were traded in separate deals, with Vucevic heading to the Chicago Bulls, Gordon joining the Denver Nuggets, and Fournier becoming a new member of Boston Celtics.
Magic got the biggest haul for Vucevic, receiving two first-round picks (2021, 2023), veteran Otto Porter, and former No.7 pick Wendell Carter Jr. from the Bulls. The 30-year-old picked up his second All-Star nod this season and averages career-high 24.5 points to go with 11.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.
Nuggets had to pay a steep price to get their hands on Gordon as well. Denver gave up first-rounders, guard Gary Harris, and R.J. Hampton, their top selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. Reportedly, Orlando’s forward Gary Clarke is also included in the trade and will follow Gordon.
Gordon, who was the No.4 pick in 2014, is putting up 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game this season.
It seems like the Celtics got the best deal, only parting with two second-round picks to land Fournier. The 28-year-old Frenchman is having a career-year at the moment, scoring 19.7 points on average.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith, this trade could be expanded by the end of the trade deadline, as two teams remain engaged in talks about few other players.
Orlando Magic disappointed in 2020/21 despite entering the season with playoff aspirations. They currently own the second-worst record in Eastern Conference, and the likely chance to pick high in the lottery this year probably influenced the franchise’s decision to move on from their best players.
While the Magic might be a bad team short-term after these deals, their future does look bright. The trades allowed them to gain valuable draft capital and promising players while already having a talented young core with former No.6 pick Jonathan Isaac and ex-first overall pick Markelle Fultz.
