Chicago Bulls' trade further confirms how much Orlando Magic swindled them

It is never easy to decide when to reset and restart.

The Orlando Magic had dreams of a third straight playoff berth when injuries hit them early in the COVID-shortened 2021 season and essentially ended the season before it started.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman decided this was the time to make his imprint on the team after largely leaving the roster alone in his first two seasons and giving them the stability to make the Playoffs. This was the moment for him to make his imprint.

In one fell swoop, he kicked off the Magic's current rebuild by trading Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls for Wendell Carter, Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks.

This is the deal that caught everyone by surprise. It was clear the Magic were moving on from Evan Fournier on an expiring contract, and Aaron Gordon had made public a trade request a few weeks before the deadline.

The Magic have found their stars and are trying to find a way into contention, despite the roadblock this season has represented. The Bulls have now ended their Nikola Vucevic era.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported Tuesday that the Bulls will trade Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick.

If it was not obvious before, it is obvious now. The Magic swindled the Bulls in this deal. They have seen much more success and a much brighter future.

The Vucevic era for the Bulls was a massive failure. Meanwhile Franz Wagner is largely considered the steal of his draft class and one of the best players in a loaded draft class. He is a multi-time medalist on the international stage and, as this season is quickly proving, an indispensable piece to a Magic team with greater ambitions.

Orlando's side of the trade is still being written. But Chicago's story is now told. And it is not a good one for them.

Nikola Vucevic's Bulls Era

Nikola Vucevic was not a failure with the Chicago Bulls by any means.

He averaged 18.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in six seasons with the Bulls. That is more points per game than he had with the Orlando Magic in his nine years in Orlando.

Vucevic was beginning to show his age this year, averaging 16.9 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game as the Bulls looked to push the pace a lot more.

At 35 years old, and in the last year of his contract, Vucevic is moving into a new phase of his career -- and proving he can come off the bench and support a stronger-than-expected Boston Celtics team will prove if he can work in his next phase.

And that is the point. The Magic traded Nikola Vucevic as he was coming out of his prime for a promising young player in Wendell Carter and the potential of two draft picks. One of those picks turned out to be a foundational star.

The Bulls made the Playoffs in 2022 behind the acquisition of Lonzo Ball. But they finished in the Play-In Tournament in the next three years. Chicago was stuck in the middle and that finally led to them trading Zach LaVine and hinting at a rebuild -- that did not come because the Bulls caught fire to end the season.

Trading Vucevic seems to suggest the Bulls are ready to reset themselvs.

Meanwhile, the Magic used the 2021 Draft to select Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. Boosted by the number one pick in Paolo Banchero in 2022, the Magic have slowly risen the ranks. Making the Playoffs the last two seasons and pushing their chips in for Desmond Bane.

Orlando has hit a roadblock. But the team used the trade to rebuild the team's foundations.

The Magic won the trade by a lot

Both Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter have been key starters for the Magic.

Wagner has been an All-Star in the last two yearsand only missed the game because of extended absences for injuries. He is averaging 19.3 points per game and is shooting 47.5 percent from the floor.

Carter has been a solid starter for the Magic despite some inconsistency with injuries and his outside shooting. He is averaging 12.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his six seasons with the Magic.

Both have been key parts of the Magic's rise into one of the best defensive teams in the league -- well, until this season. Many pundits cite the Magic's strong play with Wagner on the floor as the key to the Magic's whole project.

It was drafting Wagner with the eighth pick in that 2021 Draft that set the Magic up for this run that at least has the Magic whispering about their title contention.

The Bulls might have started ahead and been more consistent as a Play-In team. But they never threatened to get out of the first round.

Then again, the Magic made a Game 7 but have struggled to recapture the moment of their 2024 Playoff breakthrough.

If winning the trade means getting the best player, Orlando clearly won the trade because of Wagner. And the team clearly won the trade because it has stuck to its core and still has hope to keep growing while Chicago is hitting the reset button.

This trade was a turning point for both teams. It was the Bulls doubling down on a flawed roster and the Magic hitting thr eset button to become a better team.

Orlando is the better team now as Chicago exits the Vucevic era. It should be clearer than ever now who won the trade.