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Rival could become ally as Celtics look to solve glaring roster flaw

Rival could become ally as Celtics look to solve glaring roster flaw

Lost in the excitement of NBA free agency has been the Boston Celtics, who have dramatically reshaped their roster. They traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and lost Luke Kornet and Al Horford to free agency, leaving them shockingly thin up front.

That increases the need for one last move to round out their 2025-26 roster, and they could turn to Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic by offering recently acquired guard Anfernee Simons.

Vucevic will be entering the final season of his contract and could be a prime trade target for the Celtics, who are in need of a stopgap starting center. He would fit the bill, considering he averaged an impressive 18.8 points and 10.1 rebounds and shot a terrific 40.2% from 3 on four-plus attempts per game.

He has his limitations, mainly his lack of lateral quickness, making him a poor defender, and he is 34 and a half years old. Even so, he would be a dramatic upgrade over what the Celtics have at the moment. They currently have just two centers on a roster, and neither is a starting-caliber player.

The Boston Celtics are in desperate need of a starting center

Even if they sign Charles Bassey, who has been playing well on their summer league team and has several years of NBA experience, they still would be ill-equipped at center. As a result, they should hit up the Bulls to see if they will be interested in a Simons for Vucevic swap.

Both players are on expiring contracts, and their salaries for next season are almost identical. That would make a straight-up swap for the two players much easier. While the Bulls don’t have much depth at center behind Vucevic, they were still shopping him aggressively at last season’s trade deadline.

That suggests that they are fine with parting with him. They would still have Zach Collins, who played fairly well for them after being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs last season.

Adding Simons would give them more scoring punch, presumably off the bench, with Simons being among the best high-volume 3-point shooters in the NBA. He will also be in a contract season and have all the incentive in the world to play well.

The Celtics need one more piece to guarantee a deep playoff run

As for the Celtics, they are in a gap year with Jayson Tatum out for the season and them moving on from most of their championship core. However, upgrading by getting a center should help them stay competitive and secure a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference.

Considering the East is already the weaker of the two conferences and several star players have will miss next season with injuries, the Celtics could easily make the Eastern Conference Finals next season. Assuming of course, they upgrade at center.

Ultimately, a Simons-for-Vucevic swap could be a win-win trade for the Celtics and Bulls. If the Celtics are serious about making a deep playoff run, they should definitely try to land Vucevic.

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July 18, 2025 | 8:00 am

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