Wendell Carter Update!

Wendell Carter has had an interesting path in the NBA so far. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls after his freshman year at Duke, the young big man has shown great potential, but the Bulls still traded him to Orlando after 2 ¹⁄₂ years.

The Magic are in full rebuild mode while the Bulls, now with Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and former Tar Heel Coby White, among others, are in first place in the East.

And Carter still resents being traded, as he told the Orlando Sentinel: “Like I said last time we played them, I am human. I do got a little chip on my shoulder going back to Chicago, but at the end of the day I’m going to treat it as another game.”

With Orlando, Carter is getting lots of time - 29.5 minutes per game - and averaging a double-double with 13. points and 10.3 rebounds.

And, best of all, he’s appreciated. Here’s what coach Jamahl Mosley says: “He’s grown so much in his understanding of the game. We talk about his playmaking, leadership and what he’s seeing from his time [in Chicago]. It’s just great to see his growth with his teammates as well as just on the floor; his decision-making and his level of toughness while he’s out there on the floor.”

Orlando stinks right now, but they have some interesting pieces. When they do start winning again, Carter is likely to be a pretty happy guy.