Because of the nature of his contract (he’s on an expiring deal) and the Boston Celtics’ commitment to shedding salary in recent months, guard Anfernee Simons has seen his name in trade rumors seemingly for as long as he’s been a Celtic. He stands out as a real candidate to be moved leading up to the February trade deadline, but the latest scuttlebutt from Jake Fischer suggests it isn’t a shoo-in that he’ll be traded prior to the deadline.

The highly-regarded NBA reporter shared on Tuesday that Boston “could very well elect to keep” the microwave scorer who ranks third in the league in points off the bench this season.

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“Yet I must pass along that sources with knowledge of the Celtics’ thinking say Boston could very well elect to keep Simons, too,” Fischer wrote. “I’ve been told that they are willing to pay some level of luxury tax this season after the many millions they shed in the offseason by offloading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis.”

Boston acquired Simons in a trade back in the offseason that sent Holiday, a pivotal member of the 2024 championship team, to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Dec 19, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) shoots the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Dec 19, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4) shoots the ball against Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Originally, the Celtics were supposed to receive two second-round picks in the trade along with Simons, but it turned out to merely be a player-for-player swap because of health concerns regarding Holiday. Those concerns turned out to be justified, as the defensive ace has been sidelined for more than a month with a calf injury.

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Simons, 26, is one of only three players who’s suited up in every one of the Celtics’ 29 games this season, and in his maiden campaign in Boston, he’s averaging 13.0 points per game on 36.9 percent shooting from 3-point range. For as gifted of a scorer as he is, he’s incredibly streaky, and if Boston has a chance to upgrade its frontcourt in a deal involving Simons, it should pounce on that opportunity.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Report: Celtics up to pay some lux tax, may keep Anfernee Simons