According to Jay King of The Athletic, the Boston Celtics may consider trading Anfernee Simons in order to clear up cap space and add flexibility to the roster moving forward. They just landed him and two second-round picks in the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.
“Looking to continue shedding salary, the Celtics have explored the idea of flipping Simons’ $27.7 million expiring contract, according to league sources,” King wrote. “In such a move, they would be aiming to accomplish two organizational directives Brad Stevens emphasized after the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday: regaining more roster flexibility and setting up a path to retain free agents Luke Kornet and Al Horford.”
The question is, where could Simons go?
What teams would want to trade for Anfernee Simons?
Simons is slated to make $27.7 million next season on an inspiring deal. Last year, he put up 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 42.6% from the field and 36.3% from beyond the three-point line.
Teams in need of shot creation, ball handling, and three-point shooting could be eager to get their hands on Simons, though his poor defense may turn squads away.
The Memphis Grizzlies could make sense as a landing spot for Simons if they want to remain competitive in the Western Conference next season.
They already traded Desmond Bane this summer, sending him to the Orlando Magic. Adding Simons to the mix next to Ja Morant could create a very subpar backcourt, but replacing his scoring could be worth the downside. Plus, they would be off of Simons’ salary in just one season if things don’t work out.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo stays with the Milwaukee Bucks, they could be looking for a high-powered scoring guard to play next to him because Damian Lillard will be out for next season with an Achilles injury.
And considering Simons spent the early portion of his career learning from Lillard, he could actually be an ideal replacement. They could get to Simons’ salary by sending out Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and a couple of minimum contracts, so perhaps they would think that’s a worthwhile trade.
Obviously, in most of these trade scenarios, the Celtics would have to find a third team to take some salary on in order for it to be worth it for them, as the whole point of the trade would be for them to save some money.