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Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for On SI, Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.
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The Boston Celtics have apparently been trying to rehome Anfernee Simons ever since they acquired him in the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this offseason. And now, they could be closing in on a deal.
Sam Amico of Hoopswire has reported that both the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in a trade for Simons, who has one year remaining on his contract and is slated to earn $27.7 million in 2025-26.
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However, the Celtics are not guaranteed to move Simons. Amico notes that Boston is not “opposed to the idea of keeping Simons,” who averaged 19.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds over 32.7 minutes per game on 42.6/36.3/90.2 splits last season.
The C’s have had quite the tumultuous offseason. Due to salary cap constraints, the Celtics were forced to trade both Kristaps Porzingis and Holiday this summer, and they have also allowed Al Horford and Luke Kornet to walk in free agency.
Head coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Brooklyn Nets in Game One of the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center at Barclays Center on May 22,…
Head coach Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Brooklyn Nets in Game One of the First Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center at Barclays Center on May 22, 2021 in New York City.
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Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images
Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury has also certainly played a role in Boston’s decision-making process over the last couple of months. The C’s certainly won’t be contending for a championship with Tatum on the shelf next season, so getting their finances in order has been priority No. 1 for the Celtics, especially considering that a new ownership group has purchased the franchise.
Simons is just 25 years old and could potentially become a part of Boston’s future depending on how he plays this coming campaign (if the C’s keep him for that long). He did average over 20 points per game in back-to-back seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, so he clearly has microwave scoring ability.
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That being said, the former first-round pick is not the greatest defender in the world, and his efficiency leaves a lot to be desired.
Still, the Celtics are known for transforming the careers of players, much like they did with Derrick White. Perhaps they can do the same for Simons.
For more on the Boston Celtics and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.