March 26, 2021 9:00 AM | With information from EFE
15 minutes. The transfer period in the NBA was closed and the Orlando Magic team emerged as the main protagonist by running out of 3 of its 5 starters, while the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls were reinforced.
Magic traded All-Star center, Montenegrin Swiss Nikola Vucevic, and power forward Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls. In exchange, he received Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks.
Earlier, he also sent power forward Aaron Gordon, who had requested the trade, and center Gary Clark, in exchange for forward Gary Harris and rookie RJ Hampton, as well as a protected first pick in the college draft, to the Denver Nuggets.
Orlando also sent French forward Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics for two second-round picks and point guard Jeff Teague.
Reinforced equipment
If Orlando began working in the future, Heat landed Houston Rockets All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, Canadian center Kyle Olynyk and guard Avery Bradley.
In addition to Serbian center Nemanja Bjelica, from Sacramento Kings, to whom he gave young power forward Chris Silva and Puerto Rican forward Maurice Harkless.
Miami will now focus on the signing of veteran center LaMarcus Aldridge. In the next few days the player will be free to sign with the team of his choice after the San Antonio Spurs bought his contract.
The Nuggets, like Heat, in addition to having gotten Gordon and Clark, got another tall man with league champion experience, center JaVale McGee, of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This team received a pair of second-round picks and young German-American power forward Isaiah Hartenstein.
Bulls also entered the group of winning teams in the transfers of the NBA with the arrival of All-Star Vucevic. This is the first big move from your new executive vice president of basketball operations. Lithuanian Arturas Karnisovas had done very little to stamp his name on management.
Karnisovas managed rookie center Patrick Williams and signed Garrett Temple. But beyond that, he had the same team that got his predecessor, Gar Forman, fired.
Chicago could have struggled to build through the giveaway. However, with the emergence of guard Zach LaVine as an All-Star, and to support coach Billy Donovan, Karnisovas made the decision to immediately add talent with Vucevic, Aminu and German center Daniel Theis, via the Bostons Celtics.
Vucevic is averaging 24.5 points and 11.8 rebounds this season, while he is 41% from 3-point range. This makes him a key player for the Bulls, who as of now are fighting for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
With the arrival of Theis, the Bulls had to hit German center Mo Wagner. He had previously arrived from the Washington Wizards, along with Troy Brown Jr. and Luke Kornet. This cost him sending the young promises of Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchison to the nation’s capital team.
Hawks made only one trade, but got the Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams, one of the best sixth players in the NBA, for Rajon Rondo. The veteran point guard can also have a great impact in the Californian team’s locker room due to his character and experience, especially when the playoffs arrive.
Another team that was reinforced at the end of the NBA transfers was the Dallas Mavericks. He got guard JJ Redick, a veteran with playoff experience, from the New Orleans Pelicans. He also captured Italian center Nicolo Melli, who can help Slovenian point guard Luka Doncic in the inside game.
In return, the Mavericks had to give nothing but veteran power forward James Johnson, forward Wes Iwundu and a second round.
The Philadelphia Sixers also got a good player from the Oklahoma City, veteran point guard George Hill, with experience in the playoffs. In return he sent Tony Bradley, Terrance Ferguson and Vincent Poirier, who were not priorities.
Missed opportunities
Meanwhile, Toronto Raptors, who stayed with point guard Kyle Lowry, and the Angeles Lakers, failing to do so, ended the day as teams that lost the opportunity to improve their squads and even more after the Canadian team sent guard Norman Powell to the Trail Blazers of Portland in exchange for Gary Trent Jr., which is a mystery, but may have a future.
Nor did the San Antonio Spurs do it with the departure of Aldridge and without finding a player who can fill the void he leaves within the team.
But the team that puzzled the most on the NBA transfer day was the Rockets for the little they got from Oladipo, which had been the biggest compensation with the departure of All-Star guard James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets.
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