Why Big Celtics Trade Should Excite the Sixers

While the Sixers are quietly observing in the background in the early stages of trade deadline week, the rival Boston Celtics have already made a move.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Celtics have acquired center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick from the Chicago Bulls for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick.

The deal essentially bolsters the credibility of Boston's interior in time for the playoff push while also cutting costs to lessen the burden on their tax bill.

But the Celtics sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, likely to flip-flop with the New York Knicks who own an identical record to their Atlantic Division foes. The Sixers sit in sixth, with a move up to second place still in reach but a fall to the Play-In still possible as well.

Yet, just a short while ago, the six seed was less desirable for Philadelphia than it is after this trade.

Sure, Vucevic is a quality center who will cause trouble on the interior. But he's not the mobile volume shooter that Simons is. The Celtics gave up their ability to play comically small and thus made it less easy to hunt switches.

Why does that matter?

In a playoff series against Philadelphia, you would seek to drag Joel Embiid into space on the perimeter. You'd bet on your ability to blow by him or quickly trigger a three off the dribble before he can lunge to contest. Boston would've been able to do that with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons, posing all kinds of matchup problems for Philadelphia in a potential first-round series.

Vucevic will pull Embiid or any other Sixer out of the paint, but you're less concerned about the off-the-dribble game than you would've been with Simons. And if Vucevic gets into the paint, you'll take your chances with Embiid matching up against a slow-footed big with limited creation ability.

We'll see if Jayson Tatum comes back this season. But this deal shouldn't threaten Embiid or the Sixers very much. Gone are the days of the Celtics causing fits with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis or Robert Williams. Now they have Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Vucevic holding down the fort.

This is a matchup that you like more and more with each thought.

Depending on what the Sixers do in the next couple days, you might just like it even more.