Please use this thread to discuss the trade and its ramifications. All new posts will be removed.
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(Shams) – The Boston Celtics have acquired center Nikola Vucevic in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, adding some much-needed help to their frontcourt.
Boston will trade guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round draft pick to Chicago, sources told Charania.
The 6-foot-9 Vucevic figures to fill a major need at center for the Celtics, who have primarily used unproven youngsters Neemias Queta and Luka Garza at center this season.
The Celtics (31-18), led by their star backcourt trio of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, entered Tuesday tied with the New York Knicks for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Vucevic, 35, is averaging 16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds in 48 games this season, his fifth with the Bulls.
It was the second trade completed Tuesday by the Bulls, who also dealt Kevin Huerter to the Detroit Pistons in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Simons, 26, averaged 14.2 points per game as a bench player for Boston this season.
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38 comments
I’ll take it.
bro Anfernee just wanted to play in the playoffs guys gonna be depressed
Like the trade. Sure vuc is a bad defender, but he’s most likely taking minutes from garza, who is also bad at defense. And now there is a legit 5 out lineup! Big issue is how to fill the Simons minutes until Tatum comes back.
Do you want Queta or Vuc starting ? I’ll take Queta to anchors the defense and do the dirty work alongside the starters and Vuc being the offensive hub of the second unit.
Don’t like it. They must not have thought they could bring simons back on a cheaper deal next year
Gonna miss the Anferno but I like this as a win now move, didn’t realize Vuc is 35. Wonder if this has anything to do with them believing JT will be back for sure or not
Yossi Gozlan @YossiGozlan
> The Boston Celtics will also create a massive $27.7 million trade exception. They accomplish this by taking Nikola Vucevic into the Kristaps Porzingis trade exception.
I’m upset. I understand the value and the purpose. I just liked him and he was really starting to click with our schemes.
And JT wanted to play with him.
BRAD PLEASE GO GET AYO I BELIEVE IN YOU
Vucci Mane, let’s get it.
Won’t get press but huge win here:
New TPE for the offseason for Simons’s salary. Vucevic fits into the 22.5M they had so clock resets on a new 27.6M TPE if they want to reload after the reset year.
I really like Simon’s tbh. He was a lighting bolt when in games when no one else can get going. We do need a legit big tho so
The same people crying in this thread now will be cheering Vuc’s name next week. Welcome to Boston Vuc!
As far as I’m concerned, we entered the season with one goal: to address the tax situation and set the team up for future success. Us turning out to be better than expected without Tatum, however, introduced the competing goal of remaining competitive throughout this season.
I think this trade helps us achieve both of those goals. It gets us below the first apron while not completely punting on our performance this season. Wouldn’t be surprised to see more moves, but I think Stevens navigated the contrasting goals at play pretty well here
I just cant see any world where a starting lineup with Pritchard and vucevic isn’t straight toast for playoff teams. This defense is gonna be awful
Does JT come back now
Said it elsewhere but when we got Simons in thr off-season I didn’t expect I would grow to like him as much as I did. He gave us some great moments (I’ll never forget that Miami game) but if he wasn’t going to resign with us for something cheaper then better to trade him now and get something rather than nothing.
Hopefully he puts up good numbers in Chicago and can get a good contract in free agency.
How much has this dropped our salary below the cap?
What’s not to like?
Fewer minutes for Garza. More minutes for Hugo. Big cap win. Now we are leaders in the buyout market, perhaps even for a waived Porzingis or Horford.
I like the trade but feel bad coz Anf is balling. Does this make the Celtics below first apron?
simons can ball but it was a move we needed to make.
I wanted Gafford or Claxton ): but something is better than nothing
Any idea what 2nds were involved?
Man.. I like Vuc, but I really wanted to see what want can do on a good team.
SMH
I’ll wait to pass judgment till we see which other bigs get moved before the deadline, but if someone like Santi Aldama was gettable, and we settled for old man Vuc, I’m not gonna be thrilled.
Simons might’ve ended up as a rental who struggled in the playoffs, but it seems much more certain that that’ll be Vuc’s fate on this team.
Hope Queta keeps the starting spot though
I don’t like the deal and hate how I’m gonna have to watch vuc get absolutely fried on defense with my own eyeballs. Hopefully brads also going to call them back to add Ayo into the deal. They need another guard who can put the orange ball in the hoop as our bench is dangerously light on guys who can do that without Anf.
9 rebounds 🥹, we back up
I think we accomplished our goals with the trade but I’m sad to see him go. Business needed to be done though. Even if Tatum comes back I just don’t know how the frontcourt as it was would matchup in the playoffs.
I feel like it’s when you go to goodwill and find something you wanted for cheap and it’s an older model that has its good days.
So Scheierman is the backup PG now?
I feel like Vuc is excellent for Mazzulla ball, grabs boards and hits 3s consistently. Also he has never played on a “winning basketball” team before so maybe his defensive effort and motivation will go up too 👀
In the Vuc trade, [we reportedly sent out the Pels 2026 2nd round pick (currently 32nd) and received the Nuggets 2027 2nd round pick](https://bsky.app/profile/keithsmithnba.bsky.social/post/3mdydd7idb22h). Relatively hefty cost on our part, as far as 2nd round pick swaps go.
I feel like the same people who complain about our jacking 3s and always running pnr with brown or Tatum when we need a clutch bucket.
You guys realize this now gives us a great passing and scoring big man from the elbow, the block and 3…right?
I don’t like this trade. I’ll trust that they needed to do this for money reasons but I bet Anfernee starts and he tears it up in Chicago.
Sad to see Anferno go, he was really finding his way in this system, but I get this is good asset management and Brad acquired him expecting to trade him. Wish him well
I had a bad feeling about new owner and “lifelong fan” Bill Chisholm. He claims to prioritize contending for titles over financial considerations. However, Anfernee Simons, a young 40% 3-pt. shooter getting 14/per off the bench is gone now despite the team standing at 2nd in the east. In return the Celtics take on Nikola Vucevic,a 35-year-old 6’9 center with virtually no legs left . He’ll get maybe 17 and give up 20+. This move was only made to save $20 million on the luxury tax, and a Celtics team that had a good chance to reach the Finals is now worse.