After winning the championship in 2024 and then falling short in 2025, the Boston Celtics find themselves in a state of flux. Jayson Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season. He suffered an Achilles tendon tear during the second round of the playoffs.
Furthermore, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has begun to retool the current roster. Unfortunately, that has meant parting ways with Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis. Ducking under the second luxury tax apron has been a significant driving force in Stevens’ decision-making.
Still, despite Boston’s flurry of roster moves this summer, the franchise is marginally over the second apron. That’s where Anfernee Simons comes into the equation. Boston acquired the score-first guard as part of the deal that sent Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to a July 20 report from NBA Insider Marc Stein, the Celtics are exploring their trade options for the 26-year-old.
“League sources say Boston continues to explore its trade options with newly acquired Anfernee Simons, who became a Celtic as part of the trade that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland,” Stein reported. “The Stein Line reported on June 28 that Simons was a re-trade candidate and it is believed that is still the case.”
Simons is in the final year of his current four-year $100 million deal. He will earn $27.6 million next season. Trading him could be a viable way for the Celtics to get below the second apron, while also adding some additional assets to the war chest.
The Celtics must do what’s best for the future of the franchise. If Simons isn’t viewed as a long-term part of the team’s puzzle, it makes no sense to keep him around. The Celtics will be expected to be back in contention by 2027. There’s no time for sentiment or hanging around.
Currently, there’s no talk of a potential trade package that could re-route Simons out of Boston. As such, Stevens may need to remain patient. Fortunately for the Celtics, expiring contracts are valuable commodities in the NBA. Therefore, they shouldn’t struggle too much to find a willing suitor. The question is whether the Celtics will be willing to take a lower return in a trade, considering Simons was a key piece in the Holiday deal earlier this summer.
Boston has a lot of decisions to make. Don’t bank on the current roster being the one that heads into training camp or starts the 2025-26 campaign.
