{"id":37971,"date":"2021-03-11T10:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T15:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=37971"},"modified":"2021-03-23T18:09:41","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T22:09:41","slug":"nba-rumors-potential-landing-spots-for-nikola-vucevic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/03\/11\/nba-rumors-potential-landing-spots-for-nikola-vucevic\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Rumors: Potential Landing Spots for Nikola Vucevic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the NBA All-Star Break behind us, it\u2019s time to start looking at the next milestone on the league calendar. The second half of the 2020-21 campaign kicks off tonight leaving fans ready for the March 25th trade deadline. One of the biggest NBA rumors being discussed around the league is a potential trade for All-Star <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/magic\/\" target=\"_self\">Orlando Magi<\/a>c center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vucevni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Nikola Vucevic<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kevin O&#8217;Connor of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ringer <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recently reported that four teams have expressed serious interest in acquiring the two-time All-Star. Those teams include the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/heat\/\" target=\"_self\">Miami Heat<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/spurs\/\" target=\"_self\">San Antonio Spurs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/celtics\/\" target=\"_self\">Boston Celtics<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/category\/hornets\/\" target=\"_self\">Charlotte Hornets<\/a>. There\u2019s some doubt that the Magic are willing to move off of Vucevic, who is tied up under favorable contracts for the next two seasons. But, with the Magic sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference at 13-23, a trade return for Vucevic offers Orlando a quicker road to re-build.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Celtics are one of four teams rumored to be interested in Nikola Vucevic. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aRB0MTgyk0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/aRB0MTgyk0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NESN (@NESN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NESN\/status\/1369062059179147266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><b>NBA Rumors: Landing Spots for Nikola Vucevic<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Boston Celtics &#8211; Favorites to Land Nikola Vucevic<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of the teams to express significant interest in Vucevic, the Celtics should be considered the favorites to land this deal. Currently, Boston sits as the team with the most to gain by adding an All-Star caliber center who can score on all three levels. Despite an uneven start, the Celtics are fourth in the Eastern Conference at 19-17. With the stellar play from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatumja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jayson Tatum<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/brownja02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jaylen Brown<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> along with the talent of the supporting cast, many believe this team should be further along. This team was on the short-list of NBA Finals favorites to begin the season, after all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scoring has been a problem for Boston and this team has clearly been missing a big man that offers a dynamic scoring threat. Vucevic fits in perfectly with this roster. The two-time All-Star would quickly slide into the starting center role to fill the holes left by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thomptr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Tristan Thompson<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/theisda01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Daniel Theis<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> Both Thompson and Theis are slightly undersized for the center position and don\u2019t possess the scoring punch that Vucevic offers. As a result, Boston is forced to play smaller lineups\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thompson and Theis combine to average just 17.2 points per contest in 45.1 minutes of action. Vucevic is equally as capable in terms of defense and rebounding and offers an immediate offensive boost. Boston\u2019s current duo of bigs possesses almost zero outside shooting threat, shooting less than 80 combined three-point attempts this season. On the other hand, Vucevic attempts more than six three-pointers per game, a total of 233 attempts, and hits better than 40 percent of these shots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vucevic is scoring 24.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game this season. It\u2019s been all about the lack of offense for Boston.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;3467&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h3><b>Charlotte Hornets<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charlotte has exceeded everyone\u2019s expectations this season with a 17-18 overall record that ranks seventh in the East. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/ballla01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>LaMelo Ball<\/strong><\/a> has emerged as Rookie of the Year favorite and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/haywago01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Gordon Hayward<\/strong><\/a> appears back to his All-Star level of play. With such a promising start, it\u2019s possible the Hornets emerge as buyers during the trade deadline.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an interesting destination for Vucevic. Similar to Boston, the 30-year-old offensive-minded big fits a big need for the Hornets. But, there\u2019s no doubt that Orlando will require a large return for their two-time All-Star. With Vucevic now in his 30\u2019s, there\u2019s a serious question about how many seasons he has left in his prime. Adding Vucevic could boost the Hornets to a lock for the playoffs, but doesn\u2019t catapult this team to championship status. Perhaps, Michael Jordan and his front office value giving their young star Ball an early taste of playoff basketball. Still, this trade makes the Hornets better in the short-term but doesn\u2019t add a clear-cut path in the long-term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hornets would prefer to move off of current starting center <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/z\/zelleco01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Cody Zeller<\/strong><\/a> in this deal, but it\u2019s unlikely the Magic are willing to make that swap. Instead, the Hornets could offer young talents <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/roziete01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Terry Rozier<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bridgmi02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Miles Bridges<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/washipj01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>P.J. Washington<\/strong><\/a> in this deal. Orlando could easily ask for all three as part of a deal. Rozier has taken a huge step forward thanks to significant playing time in Charlotte. The 26-year-old is averaging 20.5 points per game while both Bridges and Washington remain valuable young prospects with less than three years of NBA experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>San Antonio Spurs<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">San Antonio currently sits seventh in the Western Conference with an 18-14 overall record. It\u2019s clear this team has talent, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/aldrila01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>LaMarcus Aldridge<\/strong><\/a> is showing his age more than ever before. This team, led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/derozde01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>DeMar DeRozan<\/strong><\/a> and the lethal young guard combo of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murrade01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dejounte Murray<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Derrick White<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> is lacking a serious punch at center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Based solely on the stats, it\u2019s pretty remarkable that San Antonio currently sits in playoff contention. Credit is due for Head Coach Gregg Popovich, but this team isn\u2019t particularly stellar in one area. San Antonio scores 111 points per game, which ranks 22nd in the league while giving up 48.4 points in the paint, which ranks 21st. The defense has been slightly above-average with San Antonio ranking ninth in defensive rating (109.7). Regardless, nothing about this team wows you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vucevic adds that much-needed offensive firepower, but the Spurs would have to give up some young talent in order to do so. The goal for San Antonio is to unload Aldridge in this deal. Aldridge\u2019s contract isn\u2019t attractive but set to expire at the end of this season. It\u2019s likely that Orlando would want a return of names including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/vassede01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Devin Vassell<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/johnske04.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Keldon Johnson<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walkelo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Lonnie Walker<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> draft picks, or some combination of these assets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;3468&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s quite unclear if San Antonio is willing to move off any of these pieces. Considering what Orlando will require in return, this potential deal doesn\u2019t boost the Spurs into immediate championship contention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Miami Heat &#8211; Not a Likely Landing Spot for Nikola Vucevic<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After a disappointing start, much in part to the temporary absence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/butleji01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Jimmy Butler<\/strong><\/a> due to COVID-19, the Heat have finally turned a corner. Miami owns an 18-18 record, sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference, winning seven of their last eight before the All-Star break. Miami has been linked to these Vucevic trade rumors, but this seems like the least likely destination.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Heat already have its dynamic, young, talented center to lead the franchise in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adebaba01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Bam Adebayo<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> Adebayo doesn\u2019t offer a three-point shooting threat as Vucevic does, but he\u2019s more than capable on the offensive end, especially as a lob-threat. Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/robindu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Duncan Robinson<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/herroty01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Tyler Herro<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/o\/olynyke01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kelly Olynyk<\/strong><\/a> have not been knocking down three-pointers at the same clip as last season, but this team is still incredibly deep with shooters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vucevic offers better offensive spacing than Abedbayo does in this same lineup, but it\u2019s hard to envision how Vucevic fits in with this roster. This is working under the assumption that the Heat wouldn\u2019t give up Adebayo to land Vucevic via trade. And the other options? It\u2019s hard to imagine Miami moving off any of its Eastern Conference Championship pieces from last year in Herro, Robinson, or even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/n\/nunnke01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Kendrick Nunn<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> The Nikola Vucevic-Heat NBA rumors are the least likely landing spot for this two-time All-Star.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<br \/>\n<a id=\"FGDJSyVdSOpvCU8lQQK-Eg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/896398704\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'FGDJSyVdSOpvCU8lQQK-Eg',sig:'i-3B7RZhmItYRC1zxQtako0Bza8d_crQuvPHvWMDZJA=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'896398704',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the NBA All-Star Break behind us, it\u2019s time to start looking at the next milestone on the league calendar. The second half of the 2020-21 campaign kicks off tonight leaving fans ready for the March 25th trade deadline. One of the biggest NBA rumors being discussed around the league is a potential trade for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3508,"featured_media":37974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608],"tags":[4198,4774,474],"class_list":["post-37971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","tag-magic-featured","tag-rumors","tag-nikola-vucevic"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3508"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37971\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}