The Boston Celtics acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls for Anfernee Simons just ahead of February's trade deadline. It was a pretty controversial decision at the time, and unfortunately for Boston and Vucevic, it hasn't aged the best.
In 16 games with Boston, the 35-year-old averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 43.9% from the field and 34% from deep in 21.1 minutes. He also averaged just 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 37.8/29.2% shooting splits in six playoff games (he was a DNP-CD in Game 7... and rightfully so).
And with Vucevic set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, there are legitimate reasons to think that his time in Boston has come to an end.
Nikola Vucevic's stint with the Celtics is likely over
To be fair to Vucevic, it's important to remember that he missed a month of action after injuring his right finger (during Jayson Tatum's return game, no less) and never really found his rhythm with the team.
However, that doesn't change the fact that his defense is atrocious, he is a stretch big who shot just 32.5% from deep in 22 total games with the team between the regular season and playoffs (according to StatMuse), and he doesn't really grab boards anymore (he sort of just swats them to his teammates. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's still not ideal, given that his rebounding has long been a big part of his appeal).
Furthermore, Boston may already have a more viable backup option in Luka Garza, who has had a stellar first season with the team, is eight years younger than Vucevic, and still has one year left on his very team-friendly two-year, $5.3 million contract.
Vucevic is far from the worst player in the world, and it was understandable why the Celtics wanted to acquire him in the first place. He never fully figured it out with the team, and he often looked too slow or out of place, but he is an incredibly skilled and smart basketball player. He provided value as a playmaker and passer (especially for his size), he is a veteran who has been in the league for 15 years, and, in theory, he could hide a lot of his weaknesses in a backup role.
If Boston opts to sign him to a minimum contract and give him a full summer and season with the team to fully see things play out, there are reasons to think he could provide some value. However, the pros do not outweigh the cons for Vucevic in Boston. And as it stands, it seems like the best move for them to just move on and end the experiment now.
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