Maybe the biggest splash of any trade deadline day move for any team around the NBA landscape came when first-year Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley made a morning deal with the Orlando Magic. Karnisovas and the Bulls made a headlining move on the morning of trade deadline day to land star 30-year-old big man Nikola Vucevic from the Magic along with forward Al-Farouq Aminu.
The Bulls got the pairing of Aminu and Vucevic from the Magic for a return of two future first round draft picks (each lottery protected in their own right) along with veteran small forward Otto Porter Jr. and third-year center Wendell Carter Jr. It was one of multiple moves that the Bulls new front office regime made to try and revamp the roster to go into more of a win now mode down the stretch.
Outlook for the Chicago Bulls after landing Nikola Vucevic
After a mostly quiet offseason in terms of roster adjustments last offseason for Karnisovas and Eversley, they made plenty of noise at the trade deadline on March 25. They also landed the likes of the former Washington Wizards small forward Troy Brown Jr., and big men Daniel Theis and shooting guard Javonte Green from the Boston Celtics.
The losses for the Bulls on deadline day, outside of what they sent to the Magic in the Vucevic and Aminu deal, included center Luke Kornet, second-year center Daniel Gafford, third-year small forward Chandler Hutchison, and even big man Mo Wagner by way of the deals with the Wizards and Celtics. There was a lot going on for the Bulls on deadline day, and there’s a lot to unpack in the aftermath.
But what all Bulls fans want to know is what Vucevic can do to help elevate this team. Here’s a look at three Bulls players in particular that can have their game elevated after the addition of the two-time All-Star selection Vucevic.