The Boston Celtics have new governors, a superstar recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and apron penalties they would prefer to avoid incurring. With this in mind, the opportunity to watch Anfernee Simons come into his own alongside Jaylen Brown and Derrick White may never arrive.
Simons is a dynamic talent capable of creating for himself and others, but as the Celtics' new governorship group looks to cut costs, a new rumor seems to confirm his contract will be moved.
Simons, 26, was acquired in a trade that saw Boston part ways with one of the most important players from their 2023-24 championship season: Jrue Holiday. The Celtics instantly positioned themselves to cut costs, but hope still remained that Simons might have a chance to prove his value on the court before finances overtook every other element of the conversation.
Unfortunately, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Celtics continue to field offers for Simons and appear to be headed toward a quick split from the productive scoring guard.
"The Celtics, to my understanding, are going to continue to look for salary-shedding opportunities and are going to continue to listen to incoming trade calls for Anfernee Simons, just as they did for Georges Niang. That's not to sit here and say Anfernee Simons is definitely going to be traded...[but] we're still expecting there to be the possibility of Anfernee Simons being traded, as well, and Boston continuing to save money."
Nothing is imminent, but Simons' future is now crystal clear: Either he proves himself as nothing short of invaluable or his Celtics career will be remarkably brief.
Celtics are fielding trade offers for Anfernee Simons
Simons has made significant progress as a scorer and playmaker after spending his first three NBA seasons in a generally minor role. He averaged 17.3 points and 3.9 assists on .443/.405/.888 shooting in 2021-22 and hasn't looked back since, producing at a borderline All-Star level.
Over the past three seasons, Simons has averaged 20.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 three-point field goals made on .434/.374/.904 shooting.
Simons has proven to be remarkably efficient alongside established commodities such as Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. He's also emerged as willing and able to run an offense in a featured role, averaging as many as 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per contest.
For a Celtics team that already has two star-caliber players in Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, one can't help but feel as though Simons can provide a minimum of elite shooting and high-level creation.
In 2024-25, Simons shot 47.0 percent on drives and 37.7 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. He posted marks of 49.0 percent and 42.7 percent as recently as 2023-24, thus revealing the offensive value he brings to the table with Jayson Tatum sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Unfortunately, Boston appears less concerned with attempting to win without Tatum than they are with preserving their finances under a new governership team.
With this in mind, Simons could be playing elsewhere before training camp can even begin. If that isn't the case, then one can't help but feel as though the only way he can protect himself from being traded is by proving to the coaching staff and front office that he's too valuable to move.
One can only hope that Simons will have the opportunity to take the court with his new team before his fate is decided by financial ambitions.