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By Justin Grasso
Contributing Sports Writer
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Nikola Vucevic took some time to let it all sink in. After six seasons with the Chicago Bulls, the standout center is getting a change of scenery as the Boston Celtics acquired him one day before the trade deadline.
On Thursday night, with the dust settled from the deadline, Vucevic took to social media to send his final parting message to the Bulls.
“Thank you for welcoming me and my family 5 years ago. It was an honor to represent the Bulls, a historic franchise, and to play in front of some of the best fans in the world at the United Center! While I hoped we could have achieved more together on the court, I will always be grateful for my time there and for everything this chapter gave me. My family and I will truly miss this city and all the incredible people we met along the way.”
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The two-time All-Star center landed in Chicago after spending nine seasons with the Orlando Magic. He was traded during the 2020-2021 NBA season, and the Bulls were posing a threat to the Eastern Conference in the early stages of Vucevic’s run with the team.
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Unfortunately, Chicago struggled to climb out of the Play-In picture year after year, leaving Vucevic with just one run (five games) to show for in Chicago. After nearly 400 games for the Bulls, Vucevic was making it apparent that he wanted to play for a contender.
The Bulls, who were gearing up for a rebuild, heard their standout center loud and clear. Vucevic was sent to the Boston Celtics, who are well into the playoff picture within the Eastern Conference this season. He leaves the Bulls after seeing the court for 48 games this year. Vucevic produced 16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
“To the Bulls staff who I had the pleasure of working closest with - a special THANK YOU for the support, the laughs and the moments we shared throughout my time here. You all mean so much to me and those relationships will always be bigger than the game.”
With Vucevic joining the Celtics, he lands on a 33-18 team, who is 7-3 over the past 10 games. The Celtics are third in the Eastern Conference, neck-and-neck with the New York Knicks.
All season long, it was apparent that the Celtics needed a front-court update. They certainly get a productive player in Vucevic, who has been averaging 16.9 points, while shooting 37 percent from three, and coming down with nine rebounds per game.
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