The Celtics made their first new addition to the roster this offseason on Monday night, acquiring Anfernee Simons along with two second-round picks from the Blazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday. The deal resulted in some long-term salary relief for Boston by moving Holiday’s contract, but it also lands the Celtics a promising young player in Simons from the Blazers.
Simons, 26, was the Blazers’ leading scorer last year, averaging 19.9 points per game while shooting 38.1% from 3-point range. He has never been an efficient shooter from the field (43% in career) but has taken on a leading role in the Blazers offense over the past four seasons, averaging over 17 points per game since the 2021-22 season.
The 6-foot-3 guard was originally drafted at No. 24 overall in the 2018 draft out of IMG Academy and spent the first seven years of his career in Portland. He has been a full-time rotation player since his second season and turned into a full-time starter during the 2021-22 season.
He’s started every game during the past three years for Portland but has played within a crowded backcourt over the past two seasons for the Blazers with other young guards like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe in the mix. Portland clearly was looking for a more veteran defensive-minded player in Holiday in making this deal.
Simons should slot right in offensively when it comes to the current Celtics roster should he be retained by the team going forward. The offensive stats tell a big part of the story as he’s been he should bring shot-making and playmaking to the C’s. When it comes to the Celtics especially, being a career 38.1% 3-point shooter is also a massive plus to stretch the floor.
But how Simons fits defensively is another question, especially within the context of the roster. Simons hasn’t been viewed as a strong defender throughout his career, and at his size, he’s not particularly big either. Considering Holiday was still a capable and versatile defender — even if he took some steps back offensively — the Celtics realistically lose an edge defensively.
The Celtics did add Simons’ offensive skillset, but it’ll be interesting to see how the front office navigates the roster going forward. Payton Pritchard was expected to carry more of the offensive burden after his breakout season that ended with him being named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. Considering Pritchard and Simons have overlap, how the Celtics sift through that will be worth monitoring.
Simons certainly brings a lot to the table, which is already a massive plus. The Celtics were in a position where they looked to shed salary this offseason, so getting an asset like Simons for Holiday allows them even further flexibility going forward. But with a front office still looking to make further trades, it’s still too early to fully see how Simons fits in the grand scheme of the roster.
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