Joey Motroni
The Boston Celtics acquired star Center Nikola Vučević and a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick on Tuesday afternoon.
The Celtics move on from Simons less than a full season after acquiring him from the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade that sent 2-time NBA Champion Jrue Holiday to Portland.
As the trade deadline approaches, Boston seemingly was looking to find an upgrade to its front court to supplement younger players like Neemias Queta and Luka Garza. Vučević definitely fits that bill.
Vučević comes to Boston averaging 16.9 points per game, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on just over 50% shooting from the field in 48 games so far this season. Vučević is also shooting 38.1% from three this season, which could play well for the Celtics as Joe Mazzula’s team has been known to shoot plenty of threes on a nightly basis. Vučević can slot nicely into the starting center role for the Celtics for the second half of the season as they continue their push for the playoffs and a top seed in the Eastern Conference, currently tied with the New York Knicks for the 2nd-best record in the East. Vučević’s shooting capabilities should allow him to stretch the floor, while also being a strong rebounding paint presence when needed, adding depth different than that of Queta or Garza
Now, for the Chicago Bulls, the team is getting a scoring first guard in Anfernee Simons, who could see an increased role with the move to the Windy City. Simons was normally one of the first players off the bench this season for Boston after Payton Pritchard stepped into a starting role at the beginning of this season. In 49 games played for the Celtics, Simons averaged 14.2 points per game, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Along with his raw scoring ability, Simons has been known throughout his career for his shooting off the dribble and overall shot creation. Simons definitely filled a scoring void during his time in Boston, especially considering the team has been without their superstar forward, Jayson Tatum, since his Achilles injury last season in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Knicks. Now the question for the Celtics becomes how Vučević fits into the team’s offensive scheme.
There are also financial implications for the making of this trade from a Celtics’ perspective.
NBA Salary Cap Analyst Yossi Gozlan via X”:
“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.”
Since Bill Chisholm and his ownership group acquired the Celtics, the group has done its best to rearrange and open up money wherever possible, with the eventual goal of falling under the second apron of the luxury tax.
This can be controversial, especially in a market like Boston, where the fanbase expects to compete for championships year in and year out. This trade absolutely does not take the Celtics out of contention this season and, most importantly, provides an immediate upgrade to their front court group.
