Tag: Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic trade grades: Who won the Bulls and Magic deal?

Wow that really happened.

It is officially NBA trade deadline day. We just got our first big trade of the day with Nikola Vucevic going to the Chicago Bulls.

This one wasn’t expected at all — earlier on Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that the Magic needed to be blown away with an offer to consider moving their All-Star center.

Message received, apparently. The Bulls went all-in for Vucevic and now seemed primed to make a playoff push as they play through the second half of their season.

The Magic are on the cusp of tearing things down to the studs and rebuilding. Vucevic was the first piece and there are certainly more to come.

This feels like a win-win for everyone. Let’s dish out some grades.

Ringer’s O’Connor echoing Shams regarding Celtics’ Vucevic interest

Could there be some fire to this smoke?

Silly season — as the weeks ahead of the NBA trade deadline are often called — is in full swing, and it’s hard to tell when trade rumbles reflect earnest plans of front offices, or are a front to hide their real ones from competing general managers.

But sometimes, trusted media members get the same intel, and that seems to be happening with a rumor regarding a potential Boston Celtics trade target; it seems that The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor is echoing the reporting of The Athletic’s Shams Charania in that both have sources who report the Celtics are among teams interested in trading for Orlando Magic All-Star center Nikola Vucevic.

It’s worth noting that there’s no reason to doubt either trusted media analysts’ sources, but also that there’s no cause to get overly excited about the news, either.

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Report: Hornets have inquired about Magic big man Nikola Vucevic

As one of the more intriguing teams heading toward the trade deadline, the Hornets could be eyeing a big move for a big man.

As the NBA trade deadline nears, the Charlotte Hornets could be one of the more intriguing teams in the league. On top of having cap space that could allow them to facilitate a trade as a third team, the Hornets also have a dearth of young players and enough draft capital to figure into many other trades.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania furthered that latter point on Thursday by reporting the Hornets were among the teams that have checked in on the availability of Magic center Nikola Vucevic.

“The Celtics and Hornets are among teams interested in Magic two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic, sources said. Rival teams expect that any haul for Vucevic would have to be massive.”

This season, Vucevic is in the midst of a career-best performance, averaging 24.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field and 41.2% from the 3-point line. The Magic, though, are just 13-23 and have multiple young players for the future that could lead to them parting with the 30-year-old big man.

Vucevic signed a four-year, $100 million contract in the summer of 2019. This season, he is due $26 million before being scheduled for $24 million next season and $22 million in the final year of his deal.

For the Hornets, matching money would require the team to part with Cody Zeller, who is set to become a free agent this offseason. It would also require at least one draft pick and some combination of players likely headlined by P.J. Washington or Miles Bridges.

Whether the team would be open to consolidating its assets into a player like Vucevic in hopes of making a run this season at the playoffs is a decision to be made in the coming weeks.

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Charania: Celtics ‘among teams interested’ in Magic’s Nikola Vucevic

Boston is reportedly among several teams considering Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic as a trade target.

The Boston Celtics reportedly have interest in more than just Detroit Piston forward Jerami Grant, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, with Boston ‘among teams interested’ in Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic.

The two-time All-Star is having an outstanding season with the Magic in 2020-21, putting up 24.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a steal per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Swiss big man has quietly been putting together one of the better offensive seasons in the league, and thus would likely come at a high cost in any trade.

Trae Young, Devin Booker and the complete list of 2021 NBA All-Star Game snubs

The fact that all these players were left off shows us just how much talent is in the NBA right now.

While there is no exact science to an NBA All-Star candidacy, earning a spot among the league’s best players is always a tough challenge.

The 10 starters (five players from each conference) were selected based on weighted voting from fans, current NBA players and a media panel. The reserves (seven players from each conference) were chosen by head coaches around the league.

All-Star captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant will choose their teams from the player pool during the 2021 NBA All-Star Draft on March 4.

Ultimately, however, only 24 players earned the invitation to participate in the game on March 7. Given how many deserved consideration, there are still several others who made a serious case to receive the honor as well.

Below are some of the candidates who did not receive the nod but are still enjoying All-Star caliber campaigns. The fact that all these players were left off shows us just how much incredible talent exists in the NBA right now.

WATCH: Should the Boston Celtics trade for Nikola Vucevic?

Watch this video to hear the pros and cons of dealing for the Orlando Magic center — if he’s even available.

Could the Boston Celtics make a trade with the Orlando Magic center that might boost their postseason ceiling?

While there may be questions regarding the size of his contract, few would suggest that Magic big man Nikola Vucevic wouldn’t be an upgrade for the Celtics’ frontcourt on the offensive end of the court. On a declining contracting starting at $26 million this season and dropping $2 million more per season over the next two, Vucevic is putting up 23.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 assists per game with Orlando this season while hitting 41.4% of his 3-point shots at 6.2 attempts per game.

Boston would have to be all-in to make it work as it would require moving back considerable salary to fit into their hard-capped traded player exception as well as draft assets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha6HnB7J8gc

It would also likely put the team back into the tax, making the dreader repeater penalty arrive sooner.

Check out the video embedded above as the hosts of the CLNS podcast “The Garden Report” discuss exactly this proposition.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Potential trades to help the struggling Celtics

Here are some players the Celtics could pursue with their Traded Player Exception.

February hasn’t been kind to the Boston Celtics. They are 2-4 in games this month, including rough losses to the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards. This recent stretch is not representative of this Celtics team, though. They are missing All-Defender Marcus Smart, and Kemba Walker is still getting reintegrated. They won’t lose as many games they’re supposed to win once their core is 100 percent.

While their inevitable All-Stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, have generated plenty of scoring at ease, they’re having a rough time getting points from anyone else, particularly off the bench.

The Celtics also don’t seem to have a definitive answer at center. While their center-by-committee has worked between Tristan Thompson, Daniel Theis, and Robert Williams, no one has particularly stuck out. This could be problematic when they face elite big men in the playoffs.

Boston gave up two second-round draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets to convince them to acquire Gordon Hayward through a sign-and-trade, rather than signing him outright. This allowed the Celtics to generate a $28.5 million traded player exception (TPE). As time goes on, it’s becoming harder to see the Celtics using it on a player as good as Hayward. What makes a deal even more difficult is their lack of assets. The Celtics went from having multiple first-round picks in the last several drafts to just having their own from here on out.

They could make a case to save the TPE until the upcoming offseason for a potential sign-and-trade for a top free agent. That would be difficult, however, since they’re already projected to be right below the hard cap with Tatum’s maximum extension kicking in. They would need to get off a lot of salary to make that work, which could further decimate their already lacking depth. The best time for them to use the TPE is now before the March 25 trade deadline.

Here are some players the Celtics could pursue with their TPE:

Nikola Vucevic is having the best season no one is talking about

It is time to start talking about Nikola Vucevic.

If most fans were asked to answer who currently leads the league in field goals made during the 2020-21 season thus far, few would know that the answer is Orlando Magic big man Nikola Vucevic.

Vucevic, who has now led the Magic to the postseason two years in a row, is arguably having the best season he has ever had. The 7-footer, who was an All-Star recipient in 2019, is currently averaging a career-best of 24.0 points per game. But for whatever reason, this campaign has largely fallen under the radar.

After scoring 42 points while shooting an efficient 17-for-22 from the field on Feb. 12, we wanted to highlight some of the most impressive elements of his game.

Cole Anthony, Magic campaign for Nikola Vucevic to make All-Star Game

Fresh off of a career night, Cole Anthony and the rest of the Magic advocate for Nikola Vucevic to take home All-Star honors this season.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Before taking any questions from reporters, Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony delivered a message unprompted to fans after just witnessing teammate Nikola Vucevic achieve a career night.

The message, according to Anthony, is simple: Vote for Vucevic.

“That man deserves to be an All-Star,” Anthony said. “He is the best big in the league. Come on! What are we doing? Come on!”

Vucevic on Friday produced a career-high 43 points and 19 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 123-119 win over the Chicago Bulls. He became just the third player in team history to record 43 points and 19 rebounds in a game, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard.

The 10-year veteran, collectively referred to as “Vooch” by teammates and fans alike, is off to the best start of his career.

Through the first 23 games of the season, Vucevic is averaging a career-high 23.4 points and 11.5 rebounds. He ranks 23rd among all players in scoring and eighth in rebounding, but despite the hot start, didn’t place among the early leaders in All-Star voting this week.

The lack of recognition hasn’t sat well with Anthony, and the rookie is taking matters into his own hands.

“I think every person on this team is rooting for him to be an All-Star,” Anthony said. “We’re not just in the locker room talking and then someone is randomly like, ‘I hope Vooch is an All-Star.’ We’re all thinking it. We see it on social media. I’ve gone and voted for him every single day, twice — as many times as I could vote. I’m trying to do my part. We definitely want to see him be an All-Star. I 100% think he deserves it.”

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Anthony wasn’t alone in his All-Star advocation. Magic forward James Ennis III also implored fans to vote Vucevic into the starting lineup while guard Evan Fournier joined in, as well.

Vucevic is often overlooked among the national media and outsiders for a variety of reasons, but the longest-tenured member of the Magic is more concerned with the respect he gains from teammates and his peers.

All-Star or not, having the support of his teammates means everything.

“It means a lot,” Vucevic said. “Two years ago, when I was playing well [and was named an All-Star], they were all doing the same thing. It’s always great to see that. … When you have the support of your teammates, that’s the most important thing. They see you every day. They see the work you put in, they see how dedicated you are. When you earn their respect, that’s very important.”

All-Star voting, which is up 70% this year, kicked off on Jan. 28 and will run through Feb. 16. Fans account for 50% of the vote to determine the five starters from each conference, while all current players and a panel of media members will each account for 25% of the vote.

Vucevic will likely need the help of the NBA head coaches, who determine the reserve players, to make his second All-Star Game, but as long as he has his teammates in his corner, that may be all that is needed for him.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Vucevic too much for Oklahoma City Thunder, who fall to Orlando Magic

The OKC Thunder’s short bursts kept them in the game throughout, but it was not enough to take down the undefeated Orlando Magic.

For the first time this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder game on Tuesday was not decided in the final second.

They lost to the Orlando Magic 118-107 and fall to 1-2 on the year. The Magic remain undefeated at 4-0.

Even with the double-digit loss, this was not a bad game for the Thunder. This wasn’t one of those times when garbage time buckets make the scoreboard look respectable. Oklahoma City played well and kept it close, actually tying it with the first basket in the fourth quarter, but ultimately slipped without usual starters Al Horford or George Hill in the lineup.

“There were times where we didn’t compete and we had lack of energy, and things like that is what cost us the game today,” said guard Hamidou Diallo. “All in all we played hard. … It’s just little things that we gotta clean up and get better on to start winning these close games.”

There were multiple times it looked like the Thunder were about to fold, but they continued to put together short bursts to hang in until the final few minutes.

About three minutes before halftime, for instance, the Orlando Magic went up by 10. The Thunder were struggling to make 3s. If they let the lead slide any further, it would blossom into a huge halftime deficit.

That wasn’t the case; OKC cut Orlando’s lead to four by the time the break began.

Midway through the third quarter, the Thunder had a three-play span in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander threw a pass to nobody that went out of bounds, Darius Bazley airballed a 3, and then an alley-oop attempt to Diallo in transition went awry and resulted in another turnover. This was OKC’s worst stretch of play since the closing minutes of the first game of the season, and Orlando extended its lead from three to seven during this time.

But they didn’t fold here, either. It took just a few minutes for the Thunder went on a 9-2 run and tie the game at 80.

In the fourth quarter, they fell behind 101-92, but quick baskets from Gilgeous-Alexander and Justin Jackson put them back within four points.

“There were a couple times where the game could have gotten away from us and we made a play or got a stop,” said head coach Mark Daigneault. “Just didn’t get enough in the fourth.”

In the end, there was not one singular moment in which Oklahoma City collapsed. Orlando would take a lead, the Thunder would inch near it, and then the Magic would put together a run slightly better than the previous OKC burst. It wasn’t that there was one key area the Thunder lost on; they couldn’t keep up the hot 3-point shooting from Monday, they couldn’t stop Nikola Vucevic, and they couldn’t sustain consistent runs.

In other words, they were missing Horford and Hill.

This was the first game this season in which the Thunder didn’t have a chance going into the final minute, but it wasn’t a bad game. This type of game — competitive but not good enough – is likely the type the organization expected when it traded away its veterans to jumpstart a rebuild and can accept now.

“Another competitive night from our guys and a scrappy night, and obviously it just didn’t go our way,” Daigneault said.

Isaiah Roby, who started in place of Horford, was excellent. He had 19 points on 9-12 shooting and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of play. He only appeared in three games last year, but he stretched the floor, used his length and had the play of the night.

“He played a great game. He was ready,” Diallo said. “That’s really big for you to start and go out there, being in all the reads and all the coverages that we’re in. That’s really tough for him, and he came out there and he showed that he belonged.”

Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting and made all three of his 3-pointers. He was efficient on limited shots as the Magic focused the defense on him, often sending multiple defenders his way in an attempt to trap him off pick-and-rolls.

“I expect a lot of that going forward, and I feel like I handled it OK,” he said. “Had a few too many turnovers, but I’m going to watch film and get better from it.”

Lu Dort had 15 points and made three 3s – he is now 9-for-19 from deep on the season – while Diallo and Mike Muscala combined for 27 points and 13 rebounds off the bench.

The best player on the court, though, was Vucevic, who tore the Thunder apart. He posted 28 points on 12-for-18 shooting and made three 3-pointers. He did all that despite only getting to the line one time, which was an and-one opportunity.

Oklahoma City fell, but it was not a bad loss. They got to see players who had yet to take the court this season, saw a type of player in Vucevic they had yet to face, and remained competitive. At this point in the season, competitive is what the organization is asking for.

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