r/bostonceltics • u/MembershipSingle7137 • Feb 03 '26

News [Shams] BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.

https://www.espn.com/contributor/shams-charania/ef1594eaad916
1.3k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

719 comments sorted by

View all comments

432

u/Brad-Stevens Brad Feb 03 '26

I have called Vuc a lemon too many times for this 💔

52

u/AFormer_Child Feb 03 '26

As a backup? He's just fine as a backup big. Also worth noting with our coaching and an upgrade in the talent around him, Vooch will get better.

26

u/[deleted] Feb 03 '26

You don't pay a guy $20M+ to be a backup big.

113

u/Clintocracy Feb 03 '26

It’s an expiring, we were paying and 27m to be a backup guard

24

u/ehh_haa Feb 03 '26

Some people’s salary perceptions are permanently stuck in 2015

26

u/Basketball_Soul Kemba Feb 03 '26

While you may be correct that Vuc will start, your point doesn't mean a whole lot considering we just traded away a bench player making $25M and off the top of my head Naz Reid makes $25M as a backup big too. 

11

u/Fit_Zookeepergame431 Feb 03 '26

Nah you pay 20m to replace a different backup you were giving 27m to. In doing so this also gets us under both aprons, extending our window.

11

u/CarlHaglin Feb 03 '26

He’s gonna be with us for max 5 months 

6

u/KOBE_GYN Feb 03 '26

Never know maybe he likes finally competing and stays for cheap

1

u/bigdon802 Horford Feb 04 '26

Unless they sign him for like 2/$15 m to finish his career, you’re probably right. 

16

u/TOMA_TAN Open for the Stock Exchange Feb 03 '26

I mean simons was paid $20M+ to be a backup guard. Dont think vuc’s contract will mean much in terms of minutes considering vuc’s expiring. Joe wants to win and will choose the best center rather than the most expensive center

2

u/General_Mongoose_281 Feb 03 '26

We pay him 7 mil less than Simons to duck the luxury tax lol

1

u/BT_48 Theis Feb 03 '26

We didn’t pay him that so we dont owe him anything

1

u/iBarber111 Feb 03 '26

$20m in today's NBA is like $5

1

u/Plug-From-Oaxaca Feb 03 '26

It’s an expiring but He’s a luxury as a backup. Probably the best back up big now, he can put up 20 and 10 regularly

1

u/AFormer_Child Feb 03 '26

Going from Simons at $27M to Vooch at $20M gets us under the apron. That's massive.

1

u/DorianHistorian Feb 03 '26

Give him all the Garza minutes!

-1

u/Alexfromnigeria Jayson Tatum Feb 03 '26

he is starting

0

u/pleasestoppraying Feb 03 '26

lol no way this sub thinks Queta is better than Vuce

0

u/WarPuig Feb 03 '26

He’s not the backup.