The Boston Celtics' offseason got off to a tough start. They had to move on from Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis due to financial reasons, and they're also likely to lose Al Horford.
Brad Stevens kicked the tires by sending Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade that has been tweaked since it was agreed upon, landing Anfernee Simons in return.
At first, it seemed like the Celtics wanted Simons to share the court with Jaylen Brown and pick up some of the slack left by Jayson Tatum's injury.
Now, it seems like the Celtics are just trying to use him as another bargaining chip to continue shedding money off their roster.
According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the Celtics are actively trying to trade Simons, although he doesn't know if they'll be able to do so.
"I have talked to other teams who have said they are actively trying to trade Anfernee Simons," Windhorst said on Wednesday's edition of 'The Hoops Collective.' "Whether they can or not is another [thing]."
Simons averaged roughly under 20 points and five assists per game in his final year with the Blazers, and he's known for his three-level scoring outbursts. He could provide a big scoring boost for this team while Tatum works his way back to the court.
His defense, however, has always been a talking point.
Simons is in the final year of his $27.7 million contract, and with the Celtics being approximately $20 million over the luxury tax and desperately looking to get under the second apron, they might have no choice but to part ways with him.