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The Celtics are still open to trading Anfernee Simons this offseason
The Boston Celtics have been pretty busy this offseason. After Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the front office quickly pivoted and worked on shedding salary this offseason. That has led to Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and likely Al Horford all heading out the exit door over the past few months.
A couple of new faces have arrived in town, with the flashiest of the bunch being guard Anfernee Simons, who was picked up from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the Holiday trade. And yet, while Simons was only just acquired, his name has been involved in trade rumors frequently since landing in Boston, and it sounds like the front office is still listening to trade offers for the talented guard.
Celtics Still Open to Trading Anfernee Simons
Trading Holiday was a tough pill for Boston to swallow, but in return, they got a talented young scorer in Simons who could help replace some of the scoring output that will be absent with Tatum expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 campaign. Last year, Simons averaged 19.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42.6% from the field.
As we have seen throughout the offseason, though, the C’s are intent on becoming as cap compliant as possible so that when Tatum returns, they can load their roster back up again. The team already flipped Georges Niang to the Utah Jazz shortly after acquiring him as part of the Porzingis trade, which shows that the team is open to moving on from Simons so soon after picking him up.
With the NBA offseason in a bit of a dead spot, some folks wondered whether the team had given up on its quest to trade Simons. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, that isn’t the case, as the Celtics are still listening to offers on Simons as they look to shed even more salary ahead of the new season.
“The Celtics, to my understanding, are going to continue to look for salary-shedding opportunities, and they are going to continue to listen to incoming trade calls for Anfernee Simons,” Fischer said on “NBA Insider Notebook with Jake Fischer.”
Should the Celtics Trade Anfernee Simons?
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 05: Anfernee Simons #1 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on during the second half of the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 05, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Simons is on an expiring contract that will pay him $27.7 million next season. While that’s not an awful price to pay for Simons, the Celtics could become fully cap compliant if they unload him in another trade. At the end of the day, does Boston want to try to be competitive next season, or build their roster back up once Tatum returns?
All signs have pointed to the latter option being their preferred path forward, making it seem likely Simons will get traded. The C’s aren’t going to make a trade just for the sake of doing so, but you can bet they are still working the phone lines trying to find a way to shed Simons’ salary just a couple of months after initially acquiring him.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen serves as the Lead NFL Editor at ClutchPoints while also working as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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