Celtics guard Anfernee Simons continues to be linked in trade talks

Celtics

Anfernee Simons has been linked to multiple trade rumors since Boston traded for him.

Celtics guard Anfernee Simons has yet to officially step foot on the parquet floor in Boston.

But Boston’s offseason addition — acquired as part of a swap with Portland that included Jrue Holiday — is not guaranteed a spot on Boston’s roster, at least when factoring in the multiple trade rumors hovering around the poised scorer.

As the Celtics reportedly continue to weigh their options when it comes to moving Simons in order to recoup assets and/or clear his $27.6 million salary off the books, two NBA teams are reportedly keeping tabs on Simons’ availability this offseason. 

“The 76ers and Nuggets are among the teams that have expressed interest in a possible trade for Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, NBA sources told Hoops Wire,” Sam Amico wrote on Sunday.

While several teams could use a proven scorer like Simons (19.3 points per game in 2024-25) who can also sink shots from beyond the arc (38.1 career 3-point shooting percentage), it remains to be seen how many teams looking to contend also has the fiscal flexibility to take Simons’ contract off of Boston’s hands, especially given the restrictive nature of the NBA’s CBA structure. 

With Jayson Tatum expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Boston could use Simons’ scoring punch,— be in the starting lineup or off the bench. 

Speaking in July, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens acknowledged that Simons would be a key cog on Boston’s revamped lineup during the 2025-26 season. 

“I think Anfernee is a guy that people out here probably don’t see as much because of the time that they play,” Stevens said of Simons. “But his ability to score, his ability to shoot the ball and make really hard shots is pretty elite. 

“And you look at a guy that’s 26 years old, that’s averaged 20 [points] a game for three straight years, I think he’s a really good player. And I think he can get better, and that’s a big part of it.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.