Revenge Game Watch: Chicago Bulls Set to Face Nikola Vucevic One Week After Trade

On Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Chicago Bulls will see something they haven't seen since 2021.

Nikola Vucevic will be sporting an opponent's jersey for the first time since the organization acquired him amid Arturas Karnisovas' first year in office. The trade saw Chicago move two future first-round picks and Wendell Carter Jr. in exchange for the two-time All-Star. While many admired the aggressiveness at the time, the transaction grew increasingly rotten as the years went by.

Orlando continued to rise up the East ranks in large part thanks to one of the Bulls' first-rounders, which turned into Franz Wagner. Meanwhile, Karnisovas win-now team did anything but, falling into a vicious Play-In cycle that ultimately led to the departure of players like Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball.

Vucevic was the last man standing ... until eight days ago. The Bulls officially moved Vucevic to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a future second-round pick. Chicago also gave up a far less favorable second-rounder in the deal.

Just like that, the Bulls are now set to face the Celtics on their home court. It will be their third meeting of the season, but the first where Revenge Game Watch in full effect!

Vucevic and Simons Gear Up for Revenge Game

Nikola Vucevic of the Boston Celtics — Feb 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic (4) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Miami Heat at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

What does Nikola Vucevic have to be vengeful about? It's a fair ask. The Chicago Bulls gave the big man nothing but consistent opportunity. They made him a core building block when other franchises around the league may have pulled the plug. And this included handing him a handsome three-year, $60.0 million deal that made many others scratch their head.

Likewise, the Bulls did him a massive favor by sending the veteran to the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. Vucevic is now in a position to compete for an NBA title for the first time in his career. That might as well be enough for him to name Arturas Karnisovas his Valentine!

Nonetheless, a trade can always sting. The Bulls were forced to move on from Vucevic largely due to their own incompetence. Did he have weaknesses that may have hurt the team at times? Sure, but he was among the most dependable players on the roster for years – all while the Bulls repeatedly failed to construct a quality team.

Every competitor wants to step on the court and show their former squad what could have been. Vucevic will be no exception. The big man will also come into the game well aware of this group's deficiencies. While it might be a very different-looking lineup, they remain incredibly limited on the defensive end and have a real lack of depth in the frontcourt.

The Bulls are fresh off giving up a staggering 66 points in the paint to the Brooklyn Nets. Nic Claxton dropped 28 points on 12-15 shooting from the field. He would have a nearly perfect 9-10 in the restricted area! Vucevic may not have Claxton's athletic pop, but he undoubtedly has the footwork and post presence to give both Guerschon Yabusele and Nick Richards a hard time. And you know the Celtics will also be working extra hard to find him in his spots once he checks in off the bench.

Speaking of which, Vucevic has tallied 11 points in each of the first two meetings with Boston. While he only grabbed 6 rebounds in their last meeting with the Knicks, he easily snagged 11 for another double-double in his debut. He had played fewer than 28 minutes in each contest, but there is a good chance we see that number continue to trend up as the Celtics grow more comfortable with his game.

The Bulls could have a revenge game performance of their own, by the way. If anything, Anfernee Simons may have an even bigger chip on his shoulder. Not only did the Portland Trail Blazers let him go this past offseason, but the Celtics chose to move off him despite him fully buying into his sixth-man role.

The guard was averaging 16.3 points on 42.9 percent shooting from downtown over his final 19 games with the Celtics. There is no question that he became a genuinely important part of their success, especially when we consider Jayson Tatum's absence on the offensive end. While only time will tell if the Celtics will truly miss his scoring punch, Simons will almost surely look to put that fear in them tonight.

Anfernee Simons on return to Boston: “I know it’s going to be fun and a competitive game. I know they’re not going to take it easy on me at all.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 11, 2026

Simons' hot scoring has so far made the trip to Chicago. Over his three games thus far, he's averaged 20.0 points and 5.3 assists on 48.9 percent shooting from the field. He is fresh off his best performance yet, shooting 10-17 from the field for 23 points against the Nets.

With the likes of Josh Giddey and Tre Jones remaining sidelined for tonight's event, Simons will be due for another high-volume night. Let's see if he can make the most of it against his former teammates.