Boston Celtics
Nikola Vučević will add more scoring and rebounds for Boston’s frontcourt.
Anfernee Simons was a sparkplug off the bench for Boston. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
February 3, 2026 | 4:40 PM
2 minutes to read
With the NBA trade deadline just days away, Brad Stevens reportedly made his move to lighten Boston’s backcourt — and free up some money in the process.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Celtics traded guard Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for center Nikola Vučević and a second-round pick.
Simons, acquired from Portland during the offseason as part of the Jrue Holiday trade, has been viewed as a potential trade candidate all season long.
Despite his profile as a gifted scorer, Simons’ expiring contract and hefty $27.7 million salary made him an asset that Boston could have flipped as either a cost-cutting measure or a way to bolster another area of the roster.
Boston accomplished both of those things on Tuesday. Vučević — also set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season — commands a lower salary ($21.5 million) than Simons and addresses a need up front for the Celtics.
According to NBA cap expert Yossi Gozlan, the Celtics are now under the first apron of the league’s restrictive luxury-tax structure and have lowered their tax penalty from $39.5 million to $17.7 million.
Vučević, a 35-year-old center from Montenegro, has been a productive player for years, averaging 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game this season with Chicago. For his career, he has averaged 17.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Vučević stands as an upgrade to a Boston frontcourt that has currently been anchored by Neemias Queta and Luka Garza.
Simons was put in a new role this season with Boston, primarily coming off the bench after starting for years with the Trail Blazers. But the 26-year-old guard embraced his new role, averaging 14.2 points over just 26.6 minutes per game.
Speaking to the Boston Herald last week, Simons acknowledged the nature of the business when it comes to the NBA trade deadline.
“I feel like when you get used to it, when you’ve been in the league eight years, the trade rumors become constant,” Simons said Thursday. “A lot of them could be true. A lot of them, most of the time, aren’t true. So you’ve just got to control what you can control and go out there and play — play for the team and continue to try to go out there and get a win.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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