The Chicago Bulls are sending two-time All-Star center Nikola Vučević and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, according to multiple reports Tuesday afternoon.

The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported hours later that the trade won’t be officially completed Tuesday night, noting that the Bulls and Celtics are open to potential minor tweaks to the deal.

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With the expected move, Boston will be out of the first apron, as its tax bill drops from $39.5 million to $17 million, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who also pointed out that the Celtics are poised to be eligible to sign a waived player who had a pre-existing salary of at least $14.1 million.

The Celtics (31-18) are tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Vučević, a 35-year-old double-double machine, will give the Celtics a boost in the frontcourt that’s featured Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, whereas Simons will join a Bulls backcourt that will now include 38-year-old Mike Conley Jr. and 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey after Chicago reportedly agreed to a three-team trade earlier Tuesday with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.

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Vučević’s five-plus-season stay with the Bulls (24-26) has come to an end.

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The Bulls traded for him midseason during the 2020-21 campaign. At the time, the Orlando Magic were hitting the reset button, and Chicago was trying to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The drought continued that season, Vučević’s second as an All-Star, but he helped the Bulls return to the postseason the following year.

They haven’t made another trip since their first-round exit in 2022, though. Once again hovering around .500, they’re changing things up.

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While Vučević is averaging less than a double-double — he’s currently posting 16.9 points and nine rebounds per game — for the first time since 2017-18, he still has 19 double-doubles to his name this season.

Vučević will slot into a Celtics rotation that’s headlined by wing Jaylen Brown, as well as guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, in the absence of star Jayson Tatum.

The 26-year-old Simons was coming off the bench for Boston, which acquired him in a trade last summer that shipped Jrue Holiday off to the Portland Trail Blazers. Simons averaged 14.2 points in his 49 games with the Celtics, shooting 44% from the floor while recording a 39.5% clip from beyond the arc.

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He’s scored 20 or more points nine times this season, even going for 39 last month in a road win over the Miami Heat. Simons has also tallied five or more assists on five different occasions in 2025-26.

Boston approached the deadline about $12.1 million over the luxury tax threshold, according to The Athletic. The Celtics are in line to shed some salary now, considering Simons is on an expiring $27.7 million contract and Vučević is on an expiring $21.5 million deal, per The Athletic.