The Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls are two teams headed in opposite directions, so it makes sense that they'd link up for a trade. They did just that on Tuesday, with the Celtics acquiring Nikola Vucevic in exchange for Anfernee Simons. The teams also swapped second-round picks according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
This deal makes sense for both sides, as the Celtics filled a need at the center position with Vucevic, who can play a larger role than Simons was poised to in the playoffs, and the Bulls got a young scoring guard who might be a piece they can build around in the future.
Celtics trade grade: B+
As guys like Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford can attest, the Celtics love it when all five players on the court can shoot from anywhere. The Celtics lacked a perimeter threat at the center position with Neemias Queta as their starter, but Vucevic, a player shooting 37.6 percent from three on 4.5 attempts this season and a 35 percent shooter in his career, has always been a rock-solid shooting big.
He should greatly improve a Celtics offense that is tied for 14th in points per game (116.1) and ninth in three-point percentage (36.7 percent). The Celtics will miss Simons' scoring off their bench, but the Celtics should be able to score enough without him, especially if they can get Jayson Tatum back at some point.
A hidden win in this trade for Boston is that Vucevic ($21.4 million) helps the Celtics save roughly $6 million on their tax bill, which has been a priority of theirs since the summer. Simons was not part of their future, Vucevic can play a bigger role now than Simons was, and they saved money without parting with a first-round pick or even losing any draft pick compensation. What's not to like?
I don't know whether this will be enough to get the Celtics back to the NBA Finals, but getting better now without giving up any future assets is a dream scenario.
Bulls trade grade: B
This trade makes all the sense in the world from the Bulls' perspective. Vucevic is a better player than Simons, but at 35 years of age, he's nearly a decade older than the 26-year-old Simons. It's pretty clear that Vucevic, a player on an expiring contract, does not have a future in Chicago. Getting a young player with upside makes sense.
The problem, though, is that the Bulls didn't gain a draft pick and while Simons is a younger player with promise, he, too, is on an expiring contract. Acquiring him gives the Bulls the inside track to extend him, but with Josh Giddey and Tre Jones both under contract for next season, the newly-acquired Jaden Ivey is a restricted free agent, and Chicago also has Mike Conley Jr., Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White on its roster.
I don't know what the plan is with all of these guards. White is probably going to get traded at the deadline, and heck, there's a chance Simons gets rerouted somewhere. After years of pushing for a spot in the Play-In Tournament, though, it's relieving to see the Bulls pick a clear direction. Fans might not want a rebuild or retool, but the Bulls as constructed were never going to come close to winning anything.
The worst place in the NBA that you can be in is the middle, and the trades Chicago is making should help them get out of purgatory. Even if the return for Vucevic wasn't all that great, finally moving him after years of refusing to do so gets the Bulls a decent grade.
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