The Boston Celtics acquired Anfernee Simons from the Jrue Holiday trade, giving the team a younger, cheaper guard, though he could end up getting moved for additional salary relief.
Simons is on an expiring contract that is set to end after the upcoming season. The Celtics were able to move on from Holiday's big, multi-year deal for the shorter Simons deal.
At the young age of 26, Simons is a proven scorer who can create space and shoot the ball well at a high volume.
He fits the Celtics' 3-point focused scheme and gives the team some offense in a season without superstar Jayson Tatum.
Since the trade isn't finalized, it could become a three-team deal, sending Simons to another team if the Celtics would prefer to lower their salary lists.
According to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points, there is at least one team interested in the guard.
"After trading Lonzo Ball on Saturday and continuing to field calls about Coby White, the Chicago Bulls may need a new guard next to Josh Giddey, who the team intends to re-sign in free agency," Siegel wrote.
"The Bulls like to play fast and shoot a lot of threes, which would fit Simons' style of play perfectly. More importantly, from Boston's point of view, Nikola Vucevic is a veteran big man who would make a lot of sense as a one-year replacement for Porzingis.
"Such a swap would immediately move the Celtics out of the first apron and give them a key veteran at center."
Netting Vucevic saves another couple of million dollars on the Celtics' salary sheet, but at age 34, he offers diminishing returns and has struggled to replicate his production from past years.
As a hold-over at center, he does the job of giving solid lay at center, but Simons offers a potential long-term solution at guard if he plays well next season.
There is a future with Simons on the Celtics, but moving him to the Bulls for Vucevic does provide help at a weak position for Boston.
The Celtics have centers Al Horford and Luke Kornett on the markets as free agents. They are likely to lose one of them, making a Vucevic trade appealing.
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