Nikola Vucevic, who has been out since March 6 with a fractured finger, may be ready to return Sunday afternoon against Toronto, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive.
Acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline, the Boston Celtics big man appeared in just 12 games before the injury required surgery.
He was initially expected to be reevaluated in three to four weeks, so a return on Sunday would bring him back slightly ahead of that timeline.
Terada notes that he’s likely to take over Luka Garza’s role as the primary backup center.
As he prepares to come back, Vucevic will also be playing for his next contract, Brian Robb of MassLive writes in a mailbag column.
The 35-year-old is on an expiring $21.4MM deal, and Robb suggests his next salary could be less than half of that figure.
The Celtics might have interest in bringing him back if he performs well in the postseason, but likely only on an affordable one-year contract as they continue to keep an eye on the luxury tax.
Robb also mentions that Boston could explore younger options on the trade market this offseason.
Celtics Notes: Queta, Mazzulla, Pritchard, Vucevic https://t.co/3Zw4pHkfXP pic.twitter.com/EhouMIPSzu
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 5, 2026
