The Chicago Bulls have slowly unloaded each of their core pieces since Arturas Karnisovas took over. DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso are all gone. Only one name remains; ironically, it was the first to arrive. Nikola Vucevic has been a good player for the Bulls, averaging a double-double throughout his entire tenure. Unfortunately, he’s now 35 years old and remains a weak link on defense. His contract has become something the Bulls no longer want to carry. Finding a trade partner has been an issue.
It looked like the Golden State Warriors were about to make something happen last year. That fell through after they landed Jimmy Butler. Now the Bulls are seeking some way to unload their veteran center. According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, a possible path might be forming. Thanks to the Jason Tatum injury, the Boston Celtics are clearly entering a transition period. They’ve already unloaded multiple key names from their championship squad, including Kristaps Porzingis. Boston might be seeking short-term help in the middle.
The return would be sharpshooter Anfernee Simons, who’d help the Bulls in the backcourt.
Simons’ situation is unique, as he is a young talent who could fit into the Celtics’ plans right away with Tatum out, as well as some other teams’ agendas. After trading Lonzo Ball on Saturday and continuing to field calls about Coby White, the Chicago Bulls may need a new guard next to Josh Giddey, who the team intends to re-sign in free agency.
The Bulls like to play fast and shoot a lot of threes, which would fit Simons’ style of play perfectly. More importantly, from Boston’s point of view, Nikola Vucevic is a veteran big man who would make a lot of sense as a one-year replacement for Porzingis. Such a swap would immediately move the Celtics out of the first apron and give them a key veteran at center.
Although there is no confirmation that the two teams have discussed such a scenario, the Celtics have been mentioned by league sources as a team with interest in Vucevic previously.
This idea makes sense if the Bulls can’t get picks for Nikola Vucevic.
Simmons is younger (26) and plays a style of game that fits Chicago’s needs. He’s fast, athletic, and can shoot threes, which is cash money for a distributor like Giddey. With only one year left on his contract, the Bulls can let him leave in free agency next year, giving them a nice salary cap bump. This is one of those trades that wouldn’t make either team significantly better but would keep them competitive while serving their key needs. Boston gets their big offensive presence in the paint. Chicago gets an athletic guard who can shoot. Once Nikola Vucevic is out, Karnisovas would have to find a new center. Perhaps he can snag one by trading Coby White. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
