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. pic.twitter.com/aScaobfZmv
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026
Celtics receive:
- C Nikola Vucevic
- 2nd round pick
Bulls receive:
- SG Anfernee Simons
- 2nd round pick
Boston Celtics grade: A+
Most nights, Nikola Vucevic is the best player on the Bulls. The Celtics just traded a bench piece for a starting center averaging 16.9 points, 9 rebounds, shooting 51% from the field and 37% from 3.
Boston is tied for 2nd in the East and just acquired a guy who would’ve had All-Star votes if he was on the Celtics all season.
The entire point of acquiring Anfernee Simons on an expiring deal was to flip him for a better player.
Mission accomplished.
Chicago Bulls grade: A
For Anfernee Simons, this trade sucks.
Heading into the summer, looking for a bag—Simons’s best chance of completing a heist on an NBA organization, in the Garden, Lepruchan smiling on the court, helping the Boston Celtics win postseason games in front of the entire NBA world.
Instead, he’s sent to battle for shot attempts with Jaden Ivey, another newly acquired Bull, also playing on an expired contract, looking for a raise this summer.
And that’s why I love this trade.
Nikola Vucevic’s contract was coming off the books regardless.
Anfernee Simons makes the Bulls a worse team, maybe helping them fall out of the play-in—especially with the Charlotte Hornets on a 7-game hot streak—where Chicago may get lucky in a lottery full of talented players.
It’s a lot like the Kings trading Keon Ellis for DeAndre Hunter. Your favorite podcasters want teams to dramatically blow up their rosters without considering the idea of still running out a competent ball club every night that can compete and get fans in the seats. This is still an entertainment product. Simons will score 30 a couple times, maybe a dramatic OT victory over a title contender, like, Bulls fans won’t be miserable watching him play/them lose.
The Brooklyn Nets dramatically blew up their roster; it’s their 3rd straight season finishing below .500—and I can say with 2000% certainty the Nets will once again finish below .500 next season as well.
The Bulls get to feign competitiveness while losing most nights, getting a better draft pick and more money to play around with this summer.
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