The Boston Celtics may not want to trade Anfernee Simons anymore. He’s been playing well, and they’re one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. However, if they did want to revisit a trade, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s latest statement makes the Milwaukee Bucks a prime potential landing spot.
Antetokounmpo told Sam Amick of The Athletic that he has no intention of requesting a trade from the Bucks. “There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, ‘I want a trade,’ ” Antetokounmpo, who can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2027, told The Athletic. “That’s not … in … my … nature. OK?”
If that’s the case, then the Bucks should be looking to improve their roster right now. And considering there have been past rumblings that they may be interested in Simons, they could be a potential destination this February.
Bucks could be an Anfernee Simons trade destination
The tough part is concocting a trade that would work for both sides. In all likelihood, it would have to be a three-team deal, because a trade that solely involves the Celtics and Bucks wouldn’t benefit Boston.
It would have to be something along the lines of Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma for Simons, and Boston almost certainly doesn’t want to take on that long-term money.
In fact, Simons has been playing well enough that the Celtics shouldn’t accept anything less than positive value for him in a trade, if they wanted to trade him at all.
That’s where things get even trickier.
In theory, pulling the Brooklyn Nets or Utah Jazz into a potential three-team deal could create a trade that works from a financial standpoint. The Celtics would get Portis and Kevin Love, the Bucks would get Simons and Kyle Anderson, and the Jazz would get Kuzma.
But at this point, that’s not worth it for Boston. Simons’ scoring punch is more valuable than what Portis brings to the table, though he could be a nice rotation center for the coming years.
Milwaukee would likely have to send a first-round pick to Boston, but the only tradable picks they have are in 2031 and 2031.
From the Celtics’ perspective, that would be a pretty nice asset to have. However, would the Bucks really want to give that up for Simons’ expiring contract? Plus, who’s giving the Bucks draft capital to take on Kuzma’s contract?
It’s tricky to make a framework perfect for everyone involved, but at the very least, Antetokounmpo’s intention to remain in Milwaukee makes it a realistic destination for Simons (if the Celtics end up trading him).