The Orlando Magic were the early stars of the trade deadline, as they spent Thursday having a fire sale. The Magic were part of the three biggest trades of the morning, with Evan Fournier going to the Celtics for a pair of second round picks, Nikola Vucevic going to the Bulls for Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., and a pair of first round picks, and Aaron Gordon being sent to Denver for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and a first round pick.
The Bulls were also a busy bunch on Thursday, as they made the big splash of the morning with the Vucevic deal, pushing their chips in on this season and trying to show Zach LaVine they were committed to building a winner around him. They weren’t done there, as they moved a couple more young pieces that hadn’t found a solid place in the rotation to Washington, sending Chandler Hutchinson and Daniel Gafford out to bring in Troy Brown Jr. and Moe Wagner, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Washington is trading Troy Brown and Mo Wagner to Chicago for Daniel Gafford and Chandler Hutchinson, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
Wagner was later flipped to the Celtics for Daniel Theis in a move that gets Boston under the tax and gives the Bulls a quality rotation center.
Mo Wagner goes to the Celtics, per sources. https://t.co/TPrzW9WqEd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
Theis gives them a solid veteran presence in the frontcourt behind Vucevic, but Brown is the bigger prize. The former Oregon Duck has shown flashes in Washington, but never found his footing and he’ll serve as a replacement on the wing for the Porter Jr. minutes that go away. The Wizards get some more frontcourt youth in Hutchinson and Gafford, and all the four players involved in this trade get what feels like a needed fresh start. The Bulls weren’t able to get a deal for Lauri Markkanen, but did well at the deadline to upgrade their frontcourt and put their hat firmly in the ring as a contender for a top-6 spot in the East.
