It's no secret that the Boston Celtics are open to rerouting Anfernee Simons. One of their main objectives for a projected gap year is to gain flexibility. After consecutive campaigns spent over the second apron, doing so is needed to aid their effort to return to championship contention rapidly.
Another essential factor in Simons' future with the Celtics is their appetite to re-sign him. Perhaps, they're willing to carry his expiring $27.7 million contract on their books this season. However, if they don't believe in constructing a roster where him, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White are their four highest-paid players, then odds are Simons won't be in Boston beyond the trade deadline.
As the franchise figures out what to do with the 26-year-old guard, Steve Bulpett of Heavy reports that an NBA general manager told him, "They're still very much willing to talk about Simons."
However, the Celtics don't have to trade such a capable scorer. Perhaps they shouldn't.
The case for keeping Anfernee Simons
The six-foot-three guard is a career 15-point-per-game scorer. He averaged 19.3 points last season. He's a dynamic threat from behind the arc. Simons is dangerous off the dribble and on catch-and-shoot threes.
He ranked 13th among players averaging at least 3.5 pull-up threes during the 2024-25 campaign, per NBA.com. The former Portland Trail Blazers guard knocked down 34.7 percent of his 4.2 attempts on those shots. He also buried 37.7 percent of the 4.3 catch-and-shoot 3s he hoisted.
A personnel executive told Bulpett, "I don't know what the Celtics are thinking, but other than Jaylen Brown, there's not a better scorer than Simons on that roster."
Still, even if Simons starts the season in Boston and that declaration comes to fruition, it may further entice teams to pursue acquiring him by February's trade deadline.
As another front-office executive told Bulpett, "I think, unless they are presented with some sweetheart situation, the most likely time for Simons to get moved — again, if he even does — would be at the trade deadline.
"I could see Boston being out of it and another team thinking they need a scorer like Simons to put them over the top. I could see another team that's close wanting to add that kind of firepower down the stretch and into the playoffs. Even if it's a rental."
The case for keeping Simons is compelling. He'd give the Celtics' offense a needed boost. That would remain true upon Tatum's return if the former gets re-signed.
They're already under the second apron. It's a threshold that it would come as a shock if Boston's over at the end of the league year. That's enough to make whether to keep Simons in the fold beyond the upcoming campaign a legitimate conversation.
Given that there are advantages to either route with Simons, whatever decision the Celtics make about his future with the franchise has better odds of ultimately working out positively.