An NBA trade idea sending Anfernee Simons and Robert Williams III to the Charlotte Hornets has been created.
NBA writer Dan Favale of Bleacher Report created the following trade idea between the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz:
Boston Celtics Receive: Terance Mann, Utah’s 2026 second-round pick (via Milwaukee; top-55 protection), draft rights to Louis Labeyrie (via Lakers), Brooklyn’s 2026 second-round pick (via Miami; top-55 protection)
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Pat Connaughton, Kyle Kuzma, Denver’s 2029 second-round pick (via Charlotte), draft rights to Marcelo Nicola (via Portland), $2.3 million cash (via Miami)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Anfernee Simons, Robert Williams III (into non-taxpayer mid-level exception), $1.7 million cash (via Lakers)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Haywood Highsmith, A.J. Green
Miami Heat Receive: Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jusuf Nurkić, Matisse Thybulle, 2026 second-round pick (most favorable from Denver or Golden State, via Charlotte), Lakers’ 2031 first-round pick
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Collin Sexton, Simone Fontecchio, draft rights to Peter Fehse (via Utah)
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Nick Smith Jr., Kyle Anderson, KJ Martin, Houston’s 2031 second-round pick (via Boston; top-55 protection), draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis (via Milwaukee), Lakers’ 2032 second-round pick
Utah Jazz: Gabe Vincent, Terry Rozier, DaQuan Jeffries, 2026 second-round pick (most favorable from Detroit, Milwaukee and Orlando, via Boston), 2028 second-round pick (more favorable of Clippers and Hornets, via Charlotte), draft rights to Christian Drejer (via Brooklyn), draft rights to Peter Fehse, $2.4 million cash (via Miami), $2.5 million cash (via Boston)
Simons played for the Trail Blazers last season. He was traded to the Celtics this offseason for Jrue Holiday.
Boston is looking to trade Simons, sources told DallasHoopsJournal. The 26-year-old averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.1 blocks in 2024-25 while shooting 42.6% from the field, 36.3% from beyond the arc and 90.2% from the free-throw line.
Williams III was teammates with Simons last season in Portland. The center averaged 5.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.7 blocks while shooting 64.1% from the field and 88.2% from the free-throw line.
“Simons is a more dangerous off-the-bounce creator than Sexton, as well as more familiar with working away from the ball,” Favale wrote. “He can play beside LaMelo Ball or independent of him and helps provide a cleaner path to Tre Mann minutes.
“RW3 cannot be counted on for a set number of games or minutes. But the time in which he does play will beef up a barren center rotation at both ends. He isn’t that far removed from being a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with Boston, and Charlotte’s ball-handlers will celebrate having someone who is both a short-roll playmaker and lob threat.”