Nikola Vucevic’s fractured right ring finger derailed his short run with the Boston Celtics, and fresh offseason buzz suggests the veteran center could be on the move again—potentially drawing interest on the open market.
Nikola Vucevic’s Celtics chapter didn’t last long—long enough for a trade-deadline arrival, not long enough to erase what happened to his right hand in March.
The Boston Celtics traded for the veteran center at this season’s trade deadline. and now. with spring behind him. he’s reportedly headed toward another switch. NBA insider Marc Stein said Vucevic 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 added that the soon-to-be 36-year-old “figures to draw some interest on the open market. given that there is generally always a clamor for floor-spacing big men.”.
In Boston, the numbers reflect how limited the window was. Vucevic appeared in just 16 regular-season games for the Celtics with one start. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.1 minutes per game. In the team’s seven-game first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. he played in six games and posted 6.2 points. 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Before the Celtics, Vucevic’s production looked steadier. For the Chicago Bulls, he averaged 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists across 48 games. Even with the setback this spring. the expectation around him is that he can still be a reliable option in the right system—one reason the open-market conversation is already building.
The tension for Boston is simple: losing Vucevic would take a hit to the Celtics’ frontcourt depth. If he decides to move this summer, the team would have to pivot—finding a way to replace both the minutes he can provide and the spacing big-man value that teams still chase.
The sequence is hard to miss: a midseason arrival. a finger fracture in March. reduced court time in both the regular season and the playoffs—then the next step comes into focus. For Vucevic, the question now is where the interest leads. For Boston, it’s what comes next if he’s already looking at the door.
Nikola Vucevic Boston Celtics NBA free agency right ring finger fracture Marc Stein Chicago Bulls Philadelphia 76ers floor-spacing big men offseason rumors