Trade Details:
Celtics send: Anfernee Simons + 2026 SRP
Celtics Receive: Nikola Vucevic + 2027 SRP (via Denver)
Tuesday night bore witness to Boston’s first significant move of the deadline; Anfernee Simons was shipped to Chicago in return for Nikola Vucevic and a pick swap. Through the opening 50 games of the season, Simons had proved himself a real asset to Joe Mazzulla’s squad. The combo guard averaged 14.4 ppg on 44/40/89 shooting splits during his time in green and will undoubtedly be remembered as a fan favourite in Boston. The former Portland Trailblazer made a lasting impression on his teammates with All-Star Jaylen Brown calling him a true competitor and professional, as a Celtics fan I think we can all agree Simons brief spell in Boston was a good one. As mentioned in Monday’s blog post Boston severely lacked depth at the 5 and adding Nikola Vucevic certainly alleviates some of those problems. The former Bulls and Magic big man is averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds this season, whilst providing Boston with the unique skill set of a big man that can stretch the floor. It shall be intriguing to see how Mazzulla and co fit Vucevic into the line-up, whether he slots into the line-up in place of Portuguese center Neemias Queta or fills a role off the bench.
Trade Details:
Celtics send: Chris Boucher, Josh Minott, Xavier Tillman and a 2027 SRP (via Denver)
Celtics receive: John Tonje and a 2029 Protected SRP
In other news Thursday saw Brad Stevens do some salary shedding as he traded three guys for the return of just John Tonje (a two-way player from Utah). These moves got Boston under the luxury tax limit, something the team haven’t done over the last few years. The first guy to go was Chris Boucher who never really found a role in Boston and was an obvious trade candidate heading into deadline week. The second was a slight shock as Josh Minott, who had started in 9 games for Boston this season, departed for Brooklyn. Minott seemed like a revelation to start the season, but injury and the rise of Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman saw his minutes diminish. Finally, Xavier Tillman was shipped to Charlotte, Tillman had barely played over the previous two seasons but was a respected member of the locker room and helped Boston win their 18th title in 2024. Boston’s financial manoeuvrings provide them with the opportunity to target buyout candidates which they arguably need to now with the absence of scoring from the bench, especially until/if Jayson Tatum returns.
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