The Boston Celtics have been expected to trade Anfernee Simons since acquiring him in the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. The talented guard is in the final year of his $100 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
Yet, two months into the season, Simons has carved out an essential role off the Celtics’ bench. Nevertheless, with the trade deadline a little over a month away, talk of his tenure with the franchise is expected to heat up again.
According to an NBA executive who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy on Sports under the condition of anonymity, the Celtics are struggling to find a willing trade partner for Simons. His $27.6 million salary for this season appears to be a stumbling block in negotiations.
“They’ve been trying to find a market for (Simons) for a few months now, and it is not there,” the executive told Deveney. “They’re still trying….“I think a lot of teams would like to sign him. But they do not want him at that price and they can just wait it out. The Celtics are trying but the market is not there.”
Another concern regarding Simons is his lack of defense. He’s consistently struggled on that side of the floor throughout his career. And while he’s made a noticeable effort to improve on the defensive end this season, he’s yet to emerge as a viable individual or system defender.
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Still, with Simons’ ability to spearhead an offense or provide a spark off the bench, there may be some teams that register their interest closer to the trade deadline. After all, in terms of talented scorers, there aren’t many better than Simons, assuming he’s given the touches and usage rate he needs to be effective.
Should the Celtics keep Simons until the end of the season, he will likely be allowed to explore free agency. However, that would be the worst-case scenario for Boston. After all, you never want to lose a player with nothing coming back in return.
Featured image via Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images
