It's been less than a week since the Boston Celtics season ended, and yet it's been pretty clear that the Nikola Vucevic experiment didn't exactly work out as well as they hoped. He didn't play a minute of their game of the season, which has not only come into question but also raised questions about what that means for his future in Boston.
One thing's for sure: Boston learned the hard way that their three-man frontcourt of Vucevic, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza didn't translate in the playoffs. That's why what Boston does next with Vucevic could determine where the frontcourt goes from here.
The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach revealed that the door isn't completely shut on Vucevic coming back, but no one would be shocked if the two-time All-Star is on a different team.
When @AdamHimmelsbach speaks, you listen https://t.co/wu99BIvH9r pic.twitter.com/SoZGPeDWZc
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) May 5, 2026
One thing is for sure: the Celtics should know that running it back with this frontcourt going into next season will not end well for them, as they didn't just lose but got humiliated on national television. That's why what happens next with Vucevic could actually factor into their main offseason goals
If he stays, it means more moves are coming
Vucevic has definitely entered the twilight of his NBA career. If Boston were to re-sign him, odds are that they would do so on the belief that he is their backup big man. Vucevic is still an offensive presence who one could argue never got a fair shot with the Celtics as a mid-season acquisition who never got the chance to form any chemistry with his Celtics teammates because of his ring injury.
If they do that, it's also confirmation that the Celtics don't believe in Queta and Garza in the long-term. Vucevic didn't do much during their series against the 76ers, but Queta was woefully inconsistent (if he played the way he did in Game 7, the series was a sweep) and Garza did extremely little.
Because Vucevic would be brought back strictly as a backup big, it means there's a bigger frontcourt move on the horizon. Who Boston brings in is anyone's guess, but Vucevic's return would seemingly indicate a better big man would play ahead of him.
If he leaves, it means Celtics truly believe in Queta and Garza
Garza's contract is fully guaranteed for next season, and Himmelsbach's article confirms that Boston plans to keep Queta. With the regular season success they had, Boston could talk themselves into believing those two could hold the fort steady for a time before doing anything drastic.
If Vucevic doesn't re-sign, it is a sign of faith in those two from Boston's end. Though again, the postseason proves they need more than just them. However, the Celtics had a successful regular season product before Vooch got there.
Vucevic will take a paycut this summer whether he likes it or not. What Boston does with him will determine the future of Queta and/or Garza while also determining if they go after an upgrade in their frontcourt.
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