An NBA trade idea where the Miami Heat acquire Anfernee Simons from the Boston Celtics has been created.
NBA writer Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report created the following trade idea between the Heat, Celtics and Utah Jazz:
Boston Celtics get: Walker Kessler, $27.7 million trade exception
Utah Jazz get: Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Neemias Queta, 2026 protected first-rounder (from Celtics), 2026 second-rounder (from Celtics), 2029 protected first-round swap (from Heat), $5.5 million (from Celtics), $4.9 million trade exception
Miami Heat get: Anfernee Simons, draft rights to No. 53 John Tonje (from Jazz), $3.9 million trade exception
The Celtics acquired Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers in the Jrue Holiday trade. Simons will make $27.7 million next season in the final year of his contract. Boston is expected to trade the electric scoring guard.
A Florida native, Simons appeared in 70 games for the Trail Blazers last season. He averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 42.6% from the field, 36.3% from beyond the arc and 90.2% from the free-throw line.
Simons, 26, has career averages of 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the NBA. He scored a career-high 45 points against the Jazz on December 3, 2022.
The Heat were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. Simons, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware could be Miami’s new starting lineup next season if this NBA trade idea went down.
Heat president Pat Riley has been busy this offseason. The Hall of Famer traded Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to the Jazz and Duncan Robinson to the Detroit Pistons for Simone Fontecchio, acquired Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed Davion Mitchell.
Miami hasn’t won a championship since 2013. That has to be eating Riley, an intense competitor, inside.
It will be intriguing to see if the Heat look to acquire Simons.