The Celtics have made their first trade ahead of Thursday’s deadline. They shipped Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick to the Bulls for Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick, a league source confirmed to MassLive. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The fast-approaching 2026 NBA trade deadline will become a chaotic frenzy where contenders chase unicorns. Meanwhile, the Chicago Build-a-Bulls will sift through their roster like it’s a garage sale.

The Boston Celtics are surprisingly second in the Eastern Conference. They are looking to take advantage of it. The Celtics have trade exceptions they can use to add Nikola Vucevic in a low-risk, high-reward trade.