Anfernee Simons joined the Boston Celtics as part of the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. Simons is in the final year of his current four-year, $100 million contract. As such, he will face constant speculation over his future with the franchise in the coming months. Nevertheless, it would appear that Simons is fully focused on maximizing his opportunity with the Celtics.

During a September 29 news conference as part of the Celtics media day, Simons was quick to note how he’s willing to accept any role Joe Mazzulla deems fit. The former Blazers guard made it clear that his primary focus will be on winning, regardless of how that looks from an individual standpoint.

“I understand the situation I’m coming into, so, and I understand my goals as a player and as a team we want to win,” Simons said. “So I want to win. Like I said, I want to contribute to winning at the highest level. So whatever how that looks, I’m fine with you. So it can vary game to game, that’s what’s been said. And so I’m pretty just excited about the opportunity to play with all these guys and, like I said, contribute to winning.”

Simons will face competition for a starting roster spot from Payton Pritchard, who was crowned as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last season. However, judging by his comments, he is open to rotating between the bench and starting unit if Mazzulla opts to go with a matchup-based rotation scheme.

Regardless of what role Simons plays in the upcoming season, he will provide some additional firepower. He’s a genuine three-level scorer who understands how to get his shot off against multiple different coverages, while also using his gravity to open up the floor for those around him.

Advertisement

If he’s truly ready to buy in on a new role, he could quickly become one of the most impactful members of Boston’s roster, specifically on the offensive end.

Watch or listen to the “Celtics Chronicle” podcast on:

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3QnlPcS

Spotify: https://bit.ly/40JRevf

Apple: https://apple.co/45sAUBG

Substack: https://bit.ly/3WoA0Cf

This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics’ Anfernee Simons reveals willingness to embrace new role