As soon as Anfernee Simons was sent to Boston for Jrue Holiday in the offseason, many people wondered if the Celtics would eventually flip Simons and his expiring contract before the trade deadline. That answer has been confirmed as yes, they will. The Celtics are sending Simons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for veteran big man Nikola Vučević.

Celtics big man Chris Boucher was listed as out because of personal reasons, which is especially noteworthy due to the approaching trade deadline.

The Bulls also weren’t done making moves, sending two-time All-Star Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick. The Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers also have discussed a trade that would swap James Harden for Darius Garland, Yahoo Sports’ Kelly Iko reported.

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.

Perhaps more importantly than the Celtics roster gaining another big man is their cap situation. By moving Simons, the organization's tax bill fell by $22.5 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations, effectively acquired a key depth piece for his roster while subtracting from the team's tax bill.

The Pistons have been a major surprise at the top of the East, and ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, they made a move to improve one of their weaknesses. It goes down as a three-team trade between the Pistons, Bulls and Timberwolves, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.