BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official Team News Release) – In a pre-trade deadline deal this week, the Boston Celtics acquired center Nikola Vučević and a future second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-round pick.
In 48 games (all starts) this season, Vučević (6’10”, 260) is averaging 16.9 points (50.5 FG%, 37.6 3FG%, 83.8 FT%), 9.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 30.8 minutes per game. The 35-year-old is the only player in the NBA this season with 400+ rebounds and 80+ 3-pointers and is just one of three centers this season averaging at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists (Jokic, Sengun).
In 1,020 career NBA games (956 starts) over 15 seasons with Philadelphia (2011-12), Orlando (2012-2020), and Chicago (2020-2026), the Montenegro native has averaged 17.2 points (49.8 FG%, 35.1 3FG%, 77.3 FT%), 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. Vučević is coming off the most efficient shooting season of his career, shooting a career-best 53.0 percent from the field in 2024-25 while shooting 40.2 percent from three-point distance, the second-highest mark of his career. Vučević has made 16 career playoff appearances (15 starts), averaging 18.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 32.3 minutes per game.
A two-time NBA All-Star (2019, 2021), Vučević is the only active NBA player with 10+ seasons averaging at least 10.0 rebounds per game. He is also the only player in NBA history with at least 2,500 offensive rebounds, 800 3-pointers, 800 steals, and 800 blocks. Recording at least 40 double-doubles in nine consecutive seasons, Vučević ranks second among active players in career double-doubles (578), trailing only LeBron James, and ranks fourth among active players in career rebounds (10,601).
Vučević was originally selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by Philadelphia after playing three seasons collegiately at USC (2008-11).