This is the guy I've been talking about for a couple of years, and who I would want:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/v/vucevni01.html
I'll start with a Rozier package and build on from there.
I like Vucevic as well, but his asking price is probably quite high right now. Although it's probably in Orlando's best interest to make a choice between making a trade for an All Star PG or trading away Vucevic for draft picks.
Another problem is that it's very hard to match salaries.
And he is a rental (UFA in 2019). He would be a nice fit on the team but we would have to trade maybe Marcus Smart in order for salaries to match. I don't like him that much.
He makes 12.75 this year which isn't too bad. If Morris or Baynes is traded, it isn't that difficult to come up with a trade that works. It is just about whether you would want to part with Morris or Baynes to acquire him (Baynes can be moved next weekend). Baynes/Morris, Rozier and Yabu works financially and that seems like a fairly reasonable trade for both teams (I'd rather keep Morris so I'd propose Baynes). The trade does increase the tax for Boston, making it far more difficult to get out of it at some point, but I think that might be worth it for Boston as Vucevic fills a definite need. Orlando gets a younger PG prospect and can take a flyer on Yabu, while letting Baynes play some of Vucevic's role. Boston upgrades its center spot.
So post trade Boston's rotation would be Irving, Smart, Brown, Tatum, Hayward, Morris, Horford, and Vucevic. That is a pretty darn good top 8. Some depth is lost, but if that team enters the playoffs healthy I'd feel pretty darn good about it coming out of the East and giving the Warriors a real run for their money in the finals.
Not that I think Orlando would (or could due to roster spots) do the 3 for 1 trade but we would be trading two bigs plus Rozier to get back a big. Maybe there is someone that we could pick up to fill up the roster that could replace one of Yabu or Baynes but as it stands, I think we end up worse. I would like to get Vucevic, I just don't see how. Maybe Smart and Baynes for Vucevic and Jonathon Issac? Vucevic is still just a rental so it is tough to give up Smart even if they throw in Issac (a promising young big).
Yeah, I just don't see this working out.
Counting Yabu as actually on this team seems strange to me as if Yabu plays at all in any meaningful game something is either very wrong or Boston is cruising in a blow out. I mean he has played in 12 games and less than 5 minutes a game in those games. And why would Vucevic just assumed to be a rental, but even if he was do you really think Rozier, Baynes, or Yabu are actually going to be on the team next year? I mean maybe Yabu is again deep bench filler and maybe Baynes keeps coming back on cheap contracts, but I think both of those chances are small. And unless Irving leaves or Smart is traded, Rozier is gone. So even if you think Vucevic is a rental (I don't) who cares if you are only trading players unlikely to be no the team next year anyway.
My point about Yabusele is more of the roster spot that Orlando would have to account for in order to take in 3 roster spots while sending out 1. They would have to cut two players first in order to make the trade. I implied that we could probably replace Yabusele with someone off the street so to speak but if we give up both Baynes and Yabusele, that is still losing some depth at the big. I will repeat, I would like Vucevic, I just don't see a realistic trade.
And yes, aside from who is a rental or not, if we give up Rozier and Baynes, along with Yabusele to a lesser degree, and get back only Vucevic, I am not sure we would be better in the short term. It would depend on who we get to fill the open roster spots. I would like our starting 5 better, that is for sure, I agree with that.