Some big moves were made
By Mo Hussain, Sports Reporter
The team dealt Nikola Vučević, who many would consider as their best player, to the Chicago Bulls
Last week was the NBA trade deadline and there was much action to take note of. Whether it’s teams making adjustments to compete in the playoffs, or teams trading assets to rebuild for the future, a lot of teams made some team changes leading up to last Thursday’s deadline. Here are three highlights:
TORONTO RAPTORS
Despite much speculation that Raptor’s star Kyle Lowry would be traded, the Raptors were not able to get a deal done by Thursday afternoon. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the Raptors were close to trading the 35-year old to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, agreeing on adequate draft compensation was a roadblock for both teams, leading the 76ers to trade for guard George Hill instead.
However, the Raptors did not walk away from the trade deadline without making some moves. The team did agree to deals that involved trading away Norman Powell, Terence Davis, and Matt Thomas.
ORLANDO MAGIC
The Orlando Magic used Thursday’s deadline as an opportunity to blow their team up. The team dealt Nikola Vučević, who many would consider as their best player, to the Chicago Bulls for two first round picks: former top five draft pick Wendell Carter Jr and Otto Porter Jr.
The Magic also dealt slam dunk superstar Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and future first-round picks. Finally, the team then dealt nine-year veteran Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics for Jeff Teague and two second round picks.
Prior to the trade, both Vučević and Fournier were the team’s top scorers, and Gordon led the team in rebounds.
MIAMI HEAT
Despite the talk surrounding the 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat used the deadline as an opportunity to potentially insert themselves as a competitor in the Eastern Conference.
The reigning Eastern Conference champions traded Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, and a future pick swap to the Houston Rockets for two-time all-star Victor Oladipo. The 28-year-old has averaged close to 21 points this season and will look to help stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to become a credible threat in this year’s playoffs.
As for what the future will hold for these three teams the rest of the season is yet to be determined. However, as many teams continue to build chemistry with one another, it will be interesting to see how they will fare moving forward.
