NBA Notes: Celtics, Nikola Vucevic, Warriors, Draymond Green, Bulls

Celtics

Nikola Vucevic didn’t need much of a runway.

Vucevic had just one practice with the Celtics before making his debut Friday night, and it showed very little. He logged 28 minutes, the most of any Boston center, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds while helping fuel a comeback from a 22-point hole against Miami.

“I thought he did a great job from the day he got to Boston right to tipoff preparing,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said, via Brian Robb of MassLive. “Our language, our coverages, what we needed to do. He put himself in position to help us.”

Vucevic has been linked to Boston in trade chatter before, and he sees the appeal clearly now.

“I’m 35, but I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank,” he said. “To play for something big, to play in the playoffs, that’s extra motivation. I’m excited. I never really had that opportunity.”

Warriors

Draymond Green knew this deadline felt different.

Green revealed on his podcast that Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke with him directly about potential trade scenarios, including one involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

“We talked for quite a while,” Green said, via Angelina Martin of NBC Sports Bay Area. “And then he’s like, ‘On the honest front, obviously, we spoke about Giannis.’ He told me straight up that if a deal happened, you or Jimmy would have to be in it just to make it work.”

Green said the conversation triggered real uncertainty.

“Future, uncertain, getting traded to Milwaukee,” he said. “Am I staying there? Is my family coming? What’s actually going on?”

For the first time, Green admitted, it felt like a trade was truly possible.

Bulls

The Bulls are done being stuck in the middle.

Chicago made seven trades before the deadline, and vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas didn’t mince words afterward.

“The play-in is not our goal,” Karnisovas said, via Jamal Collier of ESPN. “A championship is. We are not satisfied with being in the middle.”

While avoiding the word rebuild, Karnisovas acknowledged a clear shift. The Bulls are prioritizing youth, draft capital, and flexibility, with Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Noa Essengue identified as part of the core.

Even the philosophy on second-round picks has changed.

“Second-rounders are a currency in our industry,” Karnisovas said. “You cannot operate without them.”