Windhorst: Celtics ‘actively’ looking to trade away new guard Anfernee Simons
Moving Simons' contract would get Boston below the second apron.
With Jayson Tatum likely sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season, Brad Stevens acquired Anfernee Simons in the Jrue Holiday deal with Portland in search of some much-needed scoring punch.
But months before Simons even steps out on the hardwood with his new team, the 26-year-old shooting guard’s tenure in Boston reportedly could be short-lived.
According to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, the Celtics are still leaving plenty of options open this offseason in search of alleviating their cap crunch — with dealing away Simons standing as a possible avenue.
“I have talked to other teams that have said the Celtics are actively trying to trade Anfernee Simons,” Windhorst said on the “Hoops Collective” podcast. “Whether they can or not is another [thing].”
Speaking on Tuesday, Brad Stevens spoke highly of Simons’ ability to generate offense over the last few seasons with the Trail Blazers.
Over the last three seasons with Portland, Simons has averaged 20.7 points and 4.7 assists per contest while shooting 37.4 percent from 3-point range.
Simons’ knack for sinking 3-point shots is also a welcome sight for Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics’ offensive strategy.
In 2024-25, Simons hit on 36.3 percent of his 3-pointers while attempting 8.5 attempts from 3-point range per game — which would have ranked third on the 2024-25 Celtics behind Tatum and Derrick White.
“I think Anfernee is a guy that people out here probably don’t see as much because of the time that they play,” Stevens said of Simons. “But his ability to score, his ability to shoot the ball and make really hard shots is pretty elite.
“And you look at a guy that’s 26 years old, that’s averaged 20 [points] a game for three straight years, I think he’s a really good player. And I think he can get better, and that’s a big part of it.”
But even if Simons could help Boston’s offense in 2025-26, the Celtics’ desire to shed more payroll and clear itself from the second apron of the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold might outweigh the desire to add Simons’ shot-making capabilities to this roster.
With Boston still slightly above the second apron, the team could alleviate its financial concerns if it finds a way to get Simons’ expiring contract ($27.6 million salary in 2025-26) off their books.
Even if it’s more of a pure salary dump (similar to Boston offloading Kristaps Porzingis’ expiring deal in a trade with the Hawks), trading away Simons could give the Celtics more flexibility for the long haul as they face a bridge year in 2025-26 with Tatum on the mend.
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