According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Boston Celtics have continued to search for an Anfernee Simons trade partner. And in the process, they will consider consolidation moves in which they could add extra depth to the roster by using Simons’ contract.
“Three goals exist for the Celtics right now,” Siegel wrote. “Aside from remaining competitive and finding ways to further cut their overall tax bill, Boston wants to maintain financial flexibility. Simons is in the final year of his contract and making $27.6 million, giving the Celtics a large buffer to work with and potentially add depth to their roster during the upcoming season.”
The question is, how many of those types of deals exist around the league?
Who can the Celtics trade Anfernee Simons for?
Up to this point, the Celtics have been unable to find a landing spot for Simons, even though they have reportedly been scouring the market. As a result, options could be limited for Boston.
However, there are some potential trade ideas around the league that could make sense for both sides.
One potential destination could be the Chicago Bulls, though they already have too much playable guard depth on the roster, with the likes of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones, and Josh Giddey, if and when they re-sign him, on the roster.
Chicago could send back a package of Kevin Huerter and Jalen Smith, getting off the second year of Smith’s contract, in exchange for a new guard on the roster, while the Celtics get some added depth. It would also give the Bulls the option to trade one (or both) of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu for additional assets.
Depending on what the Phoenix Suns’ goals are, there could be a deal to be made there, too. If Phoenix wants to dump future salary, they could send Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to Boston in exchange for Simons, giving the Celtics two smaller salaries (but a lot of money moving forward).
The same goes for the Brooklyn Nets. They could send the Celtics Terance Mann and Haywood Highsmith for Simons, but Boston would probably have to send back a second-rounder or two, because the latter of the two probably holds some actual value.
These deals only make sense if the teams involved value Simons as part of their future or if they value salary relief after the season.
But if they do, then these are the exact types of trades that could help Boston get some depth back in return for Simons.