Nikola Vucevic’s run with the Celtics looks like it may be over, and the ending he’s getting now is a far more fitting one.
Boston was always expected to move on. The team still needs help at center this summer, but Vucevic never really looked like part of the long-term answer after a shaky 16-game stint in green. He arrived in the controversial trade that sent Anfernee Simons to Boston, and the deal never really aged well.
On the floor, the numbers were decent on paper: 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 turnover per game while shooting 43.9/34/78.9%. But the stat line didn’t tell the whole story.
Vucevic was inconsistent, the defense was even worse than advertised, and he was always a beat behind in the rhythm of the game on both ends. That rough stretch carried into the playoffs, too.
He was a DNP-CD in Game 7 of the first round after putting up 6.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 TOPG, and 37.8/29.2/50% shooting splits in the series.
Now, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Vucevic has returned to the Orlando Magic, the team he played for over nine seasons and where he became a two-time All-Star. For a player who spent so much of his prime in Orlando, it’s a neat full-circle move.
That matters because Vucevic was genuinely good in his best years. He helped guide the Magic through the post-Dwight Howard era, and he was part of the trade that sent Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. Coming back now, with Orlando back in the playoff picture, gives his career a cleaner final chapter than the one Boston could offer.
Even in Boston, his value as a pro was never really in doubt from a character or leadership standpoint. Players don’t last 15 years in the league by accident, and Vucevic had already spent years as more than a backup - he hadn’t been a full-time reserve since his rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011-12.
Nothing is official about retirement, but there are signs this could be the final year. Vucevic is signing a one-year, minimum deal to essentially return home, and he turns 36 in October.
If this is the end, it would be a storybook finish in Orlando - and a footnote for the Celtics that will probably become trivia someday.
In Other News...
Celtics May Have Finally Solved The One Problem Fans Feared Most
Boston spent the offseason looking for help in the middle, and the answer may have arrived in a pair of veteran additions that should change how the roster looks on both ends. Mike Conley gives the Celtics another steady hand in the backcourt on a veteran minimum deal, while Mitchell Robinson brings the kind of size and physicality that can make life easier for everyone around him.
Robinsons arrival is the bigger swing for a team that wanted more reliability at center, especially in the areas that matter most over a long season. Boston is betting on him to clean up the paint, finish possessions and handle the kind of interior work that can keep the Celtics from being overexposed when the games get tighter, and the early fit is exactly why this move has drawn so much attention. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Crashed Into The Celtics Biggest Offseason Problem
The Celtics offseason has already been complicated enough at center, and now the Lakers are adding another layer to the problem. As Los Angeles reshapes its roster around Luka Doncic, it is surveying the free-agent market for help, including Sandro Mamukelashvili, a name Boston has had on its radar as the team tries to patch a thin frontcourt and keep its options open.
Quentin Grimes is another move worth watching for Celtics followers, even if the immediate action is happening in Los Angeles. The former 76ers guard is on the market after a strong playoff showing in Philadelphia, and any push to pry him away would matter in Boston because it chips at a division rival while the Celtics keep sorting through a center market that has not exactly broken their way. [Read more 🡒]
Rival All-NBA Big Man Wants Boston As Celtics Fans Fear Cost
Jalen Durens restricted free agency has turned into one of those summer situations that can tell you as much about the market as the player. The Pistons remain in control, since they can match any offer, but the gap between the two sides has opened the door to outside interest and a sign-and-trade path that has naturally put Boston in the conversation, right as the Celtics continue searching for ways to reshape the roster without losing their footing.
For Celtics fans, the appeal is obvious and the price tag is the part that can make you wince. Duren has been linked to a few different suitors as frustration builds in Detroit, and any real pursuit would require careful salary balancing and a willingness to part with serious talent, all while the Pistons still hold the power to keep him. The idea is intriguing enough to follow, but for now it remains one of those playoff-caliber name watches that could go nowhere fast if Detroit decides to simply shut the whole thing down. [Read more 🡒]