Breaking NBA Trade: Celtics Swing Deal with Bulls for Nikola Vucevic

The Boston Celtics have been searching for a center all season long to replace the void left by the losses of Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford last summer. They've finally pulled it off, acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons.

BREAKING TRADE! Boston Celtics have traded guard Anfernee Simons to Chicago Bulls for Nikola Vucevic 🚨

The teams also swapped 2nd round picks.

Who won the deal? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/EhwvMxpjtC
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) February 3, 2026

Simons is a pending unrestricted free agent, and Boston was not going to be re- signing him. But he's had a nice season off the bench for the Celtics, and it has allowed them to bring in the big man they so desperately needed.

In an interesting twist, earlier this season, before the Celtics had risen to the heights of a tie for the 2-seed in the East, the Bulls proposed trading Vucevic for Simons, but with a Celtics first-round pick coming back to Chicago as well. The C's declined. But now, that deal gets done, but without a first-rounder.

A two-time All-Star, Vučević is averaging 16.9 points, nine rebounds and 3.8 assists per game for the Bulls in 48 games this season. In his six years in Chicago, he's averaged 18.2 points and 10.5 boards.

The Celtics acquired Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers last summer in a deal that shipped out veteran guard Jrue Holiday.

For the Bulls, it's the second trade of the day, as they also landed Jaden Ivey and Mike Conley in a three-team deal, sending Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to the Pistons.