Nikola Vucevic is expected to leave the Boston Celtics heading into the offseason, as the big man is still set to draw plenty of market interest.
Nikola Vucevic and the Boston Celtics are set to part ways this upcoming NBA offseason.
Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic
Nikola Vucevic
MIN: 27.6
PTS: 14.31 (52.2%)
REB: 8.06
AS: 3.24
ST: 0.57
BL: 0.63
TO: 1.33
GM: 70
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Vucevic is unlikely to return to Boston this summer and is increasingly regarded as a certainty to sign with a new team in free agency amid looming market interest.
“Former All-Star center Nikola Vučević is increasingly regarded as a certainty to switch teams this summer after a fractured right ring finger in March helped derail his brief stint as a Boston Celtic in the spring," Stein wrote.
"He'll be 36 in October but figures to draw some interest on the open market given that there is generally always a clamor for floor-spacing big men.”
Nikola Vucevic struggled in brief Celtics run amid looming offseason exit
Nikola Vucevic was acquired by the Celtics at the last NBA trade deadline, which sent Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-round draft pick to the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics intended to go after Vucevic in order to address their spacing needs for a frontcourt enforcer and to shed significant cap space.
Yet in the end, both sides failed to reach their desired partnership. After 16 appearances, Vucevic's run in Boston was ruined by a fractured right ring finger back in March. This forced him to sit out the final stretch of the Celtics' regular season.
After averaging 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the regular season, Vucevic struggled even more in the postseason, tallying just 6.2 points in 37.8 percent shooting.
Vucevic's struggles to step up and his defensive incapability played a significant role in the Celtics' first-round downfall against the Philadelphia 76ers despite leading 3-1 in the series.
The Montenegrin big man holds an expiring $21.4 million contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
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