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Nikola Vucevic of the Boston Celtics

Nikola Vucevic is heading into unrestricted free agency following a short stay with the Boston Celtics.

The veteran big man joined Joe Mazzulla’s team at the Feb. 5 trade deadline. However, a finger injury derailed Vucevic’s tenure with the franchise. He never had enough time to acclimate to his new teammates and Mazzulla’s offensive and defensive system.

As such, Vucevic struggled throughout the Celtics’ first-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston was ultimately eliminated by the Sixers, despite having held a 3-1 series lead.

During a recent conversation with Montenegrin outlet Vijesti, Vucevic opened up about his time with the Celtics and how his injury ensured he didn’t get the best opportunity to prove himself.

“There were good and bad moments in Boston,” Vucevic said. “I think the finger injury, which took me out for a month, had a big impact. The timing of the injury itself had a big impact – right before the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. Then I couldn’t find the right rhythm, fit in with my teammates, and find my way in my new role.”

Vucevic played in 16 regular-season games for Boston. He averaged 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2 assists per night, shooting 34% from deep and 50% from 2-point range.

Vucevic Plans On Remaining In The NBA

During his conversation with Vijesti, Vucevic also confirmed that he has no plans to leave the NBA and head to Europe.

“I plan to be in the NBA, to stay there until the end of my career; I expect there will be an offer, that something will open up,” He continued. “I plan to stay.”

Vucevic provides size, floor spacing and rebounding. There will undoubtedly be a string of NBA teams willing to sign him. After all, legitimate sharpshooting bigs are a hot commodity in the NBA, especially when they can also operate as a hand-off hub on offense and a rebounding machine on the defensive end.

Still, it’s unlikely that Vucevic will earn anything near the $20 million per year deal he signed in 2023.

The Celtics Need A Big Man

Boston is widely expected to let Vucevic walk this summer. As such, Brad Stevens will need to locate another center to help fill the void. Boston could potentially use the upcoming draft to find a replacement for Vucevic.

With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently projected Boston to select North Carolina center Henri Veesaar.

“It is ‘increasingly regarded as a certainty’ that the Celtics won’t bring back Nikola Vučević, per NBA insider Marc Stein, so they’ll likely be big-man shopping this summer and specifically seeking a center with range,” Wasserman wrote. “Veesaar is a 7-footer who just splashed 42.5 percent of his long-range looks while also showing strong finishing, connective passing and a willingness to defend.”

If Veesar is on the board when the Celtics are making their draft pick, he projects to be the clear choice. If not, the Celtics will have plenty of other options at their disposal. However, it’s also worth noting that Stevens could turn to either the free agent or trade markets to find Vucevic’s replacement.

No matter what, though, Celtics fans can expect a new name to be part of their big man rotation next season.