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The Boston Celtics have remained one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, and as a result, they are widely expected to operate as buyers ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. However, the front office isn’t going to make a trade just for the sake of doing so.
Ever since he was acquired over the offseason, trade rumors have swirled around Anfernee Simons, as moving him could help save the C’s trim their salary bill, while also allowing the team to reinforce its big-man rotation. With Simons playing well in his sixth-man role this season, though, Boston isn’t in a rush to move him.
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Celtics have continually been linked to several big men who could be on the move. As it turns out, Boston was actually offered Nikola Vucevic in a trade offer from the Chicago Bulls, but their asking price for him was too steep.
“Earlier this season, well before Boston surged into second place in the East, the Chicago Bulls inquired on the possibility of trading center Nikola Vucevic for Simons and a Celtics first-round pick, which would have lowered Boston’s tax bill, but the Celtics weren’t interested, league sources told HoopsHype,” Michael Scotto reported.
The belief entering the year was that the C’s would be willing to attach draft capital to Simons in an effort to shed his contract, but Brad Stevens and company appear to have changed their stance on that train of thought. While they are open to moving Simons, it has to be for the right return.
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Vucevic would be a solid fit for Boston, but it isn’t going to go out of its way to land him, or any other big man, just to get rid of Simons. The Celtics have a good thing going currently, and they aren’t going to break it up unless the right deal comes across their table.