The expectation is that Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis will remain with the Golden State Warriors. The former intends to decline his player option before signing a two-year, $14 million contract. As for their other center from the Boston Celtics' 2023-24 title team, a verbal agreement to keep him in the Bay Area appears imminent.
However, when it comes to building a roster featuring former Celtics, the San Francisco-based franchise reportedly isn't done there.
According to The Stein Line, Golden State is expected to pursue Anfernee Simons. The Warriors want a scoring guard. The two-pronged motivation for that desire is adding more offensive punch off the bench when Stephen Curry isn't on the floor. Secondly, they want someone who can allow the greatest shooter of all-time more chances to operate off the ball. His constant movement and ability to get free for a clean look create nightmares for defenses when someone else has the rock.
What about a reunion between Anfernee Simons and the Celtics?
One can't rule that out. He earned praise from all corners of the organization during his time in Boston.
The eighth-year guard committed himself on defense. He worked diligently with assistant coach Ross McMains to grow on that side of the ball. Shouldering less offensive responsibility than he had at the end of his tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers also allowed him to exert more energy defensively.
Simons didn't just prove that he's a capable defender; he also acclimated to a new role on offense. Coming off the bench required a shift in mindset. As the top option while playing in the Pacific Northwest, he could take his time feeling out the game before getting more aggressive. As the Celtics' sixth man, he needed that mentality from the moment he subbed in.
That was another adjustment that endeared him to his new franchise. The former first-round pick averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 49 appearances with Boston. He also knocked down 39.5 percent of the 6.7 threes he hoisted in his 24.5 minutes of floor time.
A deal for Nikola Vucevic leading up to the trade deadline gave the Celtics a chance to stabilize the center position. It also did the heavy lifting in getting them below the luxury tax. That creates valuable roster-building flexibility moving forward. Resetting the repeater tax would make it that much easier to maneuver aggressively, as they did while exceeding the second apron in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Those incentives resulted in Simons finishing this season with the Chicago Bulls. In the Windy City, injury limited him to six games, costing him the chance to build further value on the open market. However, teams are well aware of what the 27-year-old, who has been in the league for nearly a decade, brings to the table.
That's why there's a good chance Simons will sign for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That's valued at $15 million. Just as it's possible he has to settle for a bit south of that figure, his next contract could also exceed it. The Warriors have an interest in bringing him to the Bay. But perhaps the Celtics feel the same way about a potential return to Boston.
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