As soon as Anfernee Simons was sent to Boston for Jrue Holiday in the offseason, many people wondered if the Celtics would eventually flip Simons and his expiring contract before the trade deadline. That answer has been confirmed as yes, they will. The Celtics are sending Simons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for veteran big man Nikola Vučević.

The Boston Celtics are trading Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick to the Chicago Bulls for Nikola Vučević and a second-round pick, according to ESPN. The deal is the latest in a string of trades the Bulls have made at this year's deadline ( follow live updates here ),

Vucevic has averaged 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 50.5% overall and 37.6% from beyond the arc

ESPN's Bobby Marks noted that Minnesota is now under the first apron and had its luxury tax drop from $24 million to $3.8 million. He also explained the salary cap impact of the players involved in the deal:

Anfernee Simons is off to the Bulls and Nikola Vucevic is joining the Celtics. Let's hand out some grades.

The Celtics added some much-needed frontcourt help, acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Bulls for Anfernee Simons and a second-round draft pick, sources told ESPN.

The Chicago Bulls are reportedly expected to trade Coby White next, with Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl emerging as a potential target.

The Bulls were playing their third game against the Heat in four nights, and with the trade deadline looming, their minds seemed to be elsewhere.