With the Celtics looking primed to go on a deep playoff run, thanks in part to the return of Jayson Tatum, you don’t hear many people still lamenting the Anfernee Simons trade. At the time, it seemed a bit questionable. Simons was one of the best sixth men in the NBA and was a big part of the Celtics' offense.
There were questions about replacing his ball-handling, scoring, and shooting, and some disappointment over seemingly salary-dumping him despite a great start to the season, not to mention the draft capital that Boston included.
But things quickly looked a lot better once Tatum returned and took on a huge offensive burden almost immediately. The team hasn’t missed a beat without Simons, and they got rid of their biggest defensive liability in the process.
On top of that, they solidified their center rotation by bringing back Nikola Vucevic, who has brought a new dimension to the team and proven to be an important part of the Celtics’ rotation, even into the playoffs.
Celtics will send the 38th pick in the 2026 draft to Chicago
The one downside of the deal was the 2nd-round pick the Celtics sent to Chicago, which originally belonged to the Pelicans. That was slated to be a solid pick, early in the second round, but as the season went on, the Pels won some games and climbed above many of the tanking teams.
They finished 26-56, which was tied with the Mavericks for the seventh-worst record in the league. On Monday, the league held a tiebreak, which was won by the Pels, giving them the 7th overall pick (which will go to Atlanta anyway from the Derik Queen trade) and Dallas 8th.
But that order flips in round two for tiebreaks, so the Mavs got the 37th overall pick and the Pels took 38th, which is the pick they owed the Celtics, and Boston sent to the Bulls.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/xwSJfpkaf5
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 20, 2026
At the time, this pick looked like it was going to be better than it ended up, and the Celtics will still have a comparable pick as they’re still owed a second-round pick from the Bucks, which landed at 40th overall, only two spots after the pick they sent to Chicago with Simons for Vooch.
The Celtics also got back a 2027 second-round pick from the Nuggets in the deal, so this will all be officially finalized next season. That's not expected to be a great pick, of course, with Denver expected to be contending for a title next season behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon. But, you never know.
Trade has worked out extremely well for Boston
All in all, that’s not bad business. The Cs made the team better and balanced the roster by swapping a guard for a big. They obviously had some idea that Tatum was coming back, which makes the deal even more sensible. Vooch’s contract was smaller than Ant’s, and it’s also expiring, which leaves open the chance to bring him back on a cheaper deal in free agency, and was crucial in getting the team under the luxury tax.
On top of that, the Celtics made a solid bet, selling high on the Pels 2nd rounder, while holding onto the one from Milwaukee, which ended up almost as strong. At the end of the day, they still have two picks in the top 40 to work with, as their own first will be 27th overall.
The deal was one of the most questionable that Brad Stevens has made in his tenure as president of the Celtics, but now that we know the final tally, it’s hard to call this trade anything worse than a net neutral.
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