(670 The Score) Hours before the trade deadline Thursday afternoon, the Bulls at long last made a blockbuster move.
Chicago acquired All-Star center Nikola Vucevic from Orlando in exchange for center Wendell Carter Jr., forward Otto Porter Jr. and first-round draft picks in 2021 and 2023. The Bulls also acquired forward Al-Farouq Aminu as part of the deal, ESPN reported. Both first-round picks are protected for selections 1-4, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reported.
Vucevic, 30, is averaging 24.5 points and 11.8 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field in 44 games. In addition to his strong inside game, the 7-foot Vucevic is shooting 40.6% on 3-pointers on high volume, averaging 6.5 attempts from deep per game. He earned All-Star honors in 2018-’19 and again this season. Vucevic also rates well in a number of advanced metrics, including ranking 18th in the NBA in player efficiency rating, according to ESPN. He's also 11th in the NBA in box plus/minus, per Basketball Reference.
Vucevic is under contract through the 2022-’23 season. He's owed $24 million next season and $22 million in 2022-'23. His addition means the Bulls won't have the cap space to pursue high-profile players in free agency this summer unless they dump salary elsewhere or get creative with a sign-and-trade, but that was of little concern Thursday as the Bulls formed an All-Star duo with Vucevic and star guard Zach LaVine.
Carter, 21, is averaging 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 32 games this season. He lost his starting center job seven games ago after prolonged struggles. The Bulls selected him at No. 7 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Porter, 27, is averaging 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 25 games. The Bulls acquired him in a trade from the Wizards in February 2019, but he has rarely been healthy since arriving in Chicago. Porter played in just 14 games in the 2019'-20 season. He's making $28.5 million in the final season of his contract.
Aminu, 30, is averaging 5.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 17 games this season. He's under contract through 2021-'22, when he's due about $10.2 million.