In the high-stakes world of NBA front offices, hindsight is a luxury fans enjoy and GMs dread. For the Boston Celtics, the 2025 trade deadline move that sent Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vucevic has aged like milk in a July sun.
What was meant to be a strategic move to bolster the frontcourt for a deep playoff run instead became a “controversial-but-mostly-understanding” failure. Now, after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla find themselves looking at a stagnant offense and a bench that has lost its “microwave” spark.
Fortunately, the NBA calendar is about to offer a rare chance for a do-over.
The Failed Vucevic Experiment
The logic at the time was sound: acquire a veteran big man who could provide spacing and rebounding. However, Vucevic’s tenure in Boston was largely a disaster. Lacking the defensive footwork to thrive in Mazzulla’s system and failing to provide consistent offensive gravity, it is now widely assumed that the big man has played his final game in a Celtics uniform.
While Vucevic struggled, the Celtics’ bench scoring vanished. During the pivotal Games 5-7 against Philadelphia, the lack of a secondary creator was glaring. When Payton Pritchard struggled (averaging just 13 points on a frigid 20% from deep in those final games), the Boston offense ground to a halt.
The “Simons Surge” in Retrospect
During his brief 49-game stint in Boston before the trade, Anfernee Simons was nothing short of fantastic. Coming off the bench, he provided the exact scoring punch the Celtics currently lack:
- Efficiency: He boasted 44/39.5/88.9% shooting splits.
- The January Peak: In his final full month with the team, he averaged 16.9 points while shooting a staggering 48.7% from three-point range.
- Defensive Growth: While not a lockdown defender, Simons showed marked improvement and a willingness to compete—a trait highly valued in the Celtics’ culture.
The Free Agency Opportunity
Simons is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. For a Florida native who seemed to genuinely thrive in the Boston spotlight, a return makes perfect sense on paper.
The Pros of a Reunion:
- Instant Offense: He provides a go-to scoring option when the starters sit, preventing the “stagnant” stretches that plagued the 2026 playoffs.
- Redundancy or Insurance?: While some fear a redundancy with Pritchard, the 76ers series proved that you can never have enough shot-creators in the modern NBA.
- The “Vucevic Lesson”: The team has learned that “fit on paper” doesn’t always translate to the court. Simons is a proven fit in the locker room and the system.
A Busy Offseason Ahead
Make no mistake, the Celtics have a mountain of work to do. Fixing the “center room” remains a top priority, and the recurring debate over Jaylen Brown’s future continues to loom large.
However, “righting the wrong” of the Simons trade would be a massive step toward reclaiming their status as a championship juggernaut. If the money is right, bringing the microwave scorer back to TD Garden isn’t just a nostalgic move—it’s a tactical necessity.
