Misplaced within the pleasure of NBA free company has been the Boston Celtics, who’ve dramatically reshaped their roster. They traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Vacation and misplaced Luke Kornet and Al Horford to free company, leaving them shockingly skinny up entrance.
That will increase the necessity for one final transfer to spherical out their 2025-26 roster, they usually might flip to Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic by providing lately acquired guard Anfernee Simons.
Vucevic can be coming into the ultimate season of his contract and could possibly be a primary commerce goal for the Celtics, who’re in want of a stopgap beginning heart. He would match the invoice, contemplating he averaged a powerful 18.8 factors and 10.1 rebounds and shot a terrific 40.2% from 3 on four-plus makes an attempt per recreation.
He has his limitations, primarily his lack of lateral quickness, making him a poor defender, and he’s 34 and a half years outdated. Even so, he can be a dramatic improve over what the Celtics have in the meanwhile. They at the moment have simply two facilities on a roster, and neither is a starting-caliber participant.
The Boston Celtics are in determined want of a beginning heart
Even when they signal Charles Bassey, who has been enjoying effectively on their summer season league group and has a number of years of NBA expertise, they nonetheless can be ill-equipped at heart. Because of this, they need to hit up the Bulls to see if they are going to be fascinated by a Simons for Vucevic swap.
Each gamers are on expiring contracts, and their salaries for subsequent season are nearly equivalent. That will make a straight-up swap for the 2 gamers a lot simpler. Whereas the Bulls do not have a lot depth at heart behind Vucevic, they had been nonetheless purchasing him aggressively ultimately season’s commerce deadline.
That means that they’re tremendous with parting with him. They’d nonetheless have Zach Collins, who performed pretty effectively for them after being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs final season.
Including Simons would give them extra scoring punch, presumably off the bench, with Simons being among the many finest high-volume 3-point shooters within the NBA. He can even be in a contract season and have all the inducement on the earth to play effectively.
The Celtics want yet one more piece to ensure a deep playoff run
As for the Celtics, they’re in a niche yr with Jayson Tatum out for the season and them transferring on from most of their championship core. Nonetheless, upgrading by getting a middle ought to assist them keep aggressive and safe a top-four seed within the Japanese Convention.
Contemplating the East is already the weaker of the 2 conferences and several other star gamers have will miss subsequent season with accidents, the Celtics might simply make the Japanese Convention Finals subsequent season. Assuming in fact, they improve at heart.
Finally, a Simons-for-Vucevic swap could possibly be a win-win commerce for the Celtics and Bulls. If the Celtics are critical about making a deep playoff run, they need to undoubtedly attempt to land Vucevic.
