The trade rumors around Anfernee Simons have been swirling ever since the Celtics landed the former Blazers guard in June in exchange for Jrue Holiday. The 27-year-old arrived in Boston as a veteran on a pricey expiring contract and was set to play a reserve role for the first time in four seasons.
It was a clear adjustment for Simons in the first few weeks of the season, but the crafty scorer has gained a new level of comfort recently. The latest example came on Thursday night when Simons erupted for a season-high 39 points to spark a comeback win over the Heat. Simons was efficient in the scoring outburst, going 13-of-28 from the field in just 34 minutes while also dishing out four assists in the victory.
“Just a complete game,” Joe Mazzulla told reporters in Miami. “Credit to him and credit to his teammates for creating that environment for him to be able to do it. But he obviously kept us in it in the first half and helped us pull away at the end.”
The performance pushes Simons’ scoring average for January to 18.3 points per game, second on the team behind Jaylen Brown. He’s shooting 51 percent from 3-point range during that stretch and 40 percent on the year from long distance. All of this success, along with a stellar net rating in the year, has suddenly left Brad Stevens with a fascinating dilemma as the trade deadline approaches.
The Celtics are clearly in the market for some help at center, and Simons’ $27.8 million salary has always been seen as a useful trade chip for matching salary in a hypothetical swap.
Simons’ emergence as a key contributor for the 25-15 Celtics could give Stevens some pause now as he weighs potential upgrades to the team’s frontcourt. Simons is playing well enough in the present where the team’s best chance of competing in the East this year may include keeping him on the roster.
Stevens will need to use him to bring aboard a significant salary, but a smaller-scale addition could allow the Celtics to ride things out with Simons. Boston could opt to move Sam Hauser or another wing/big to bring aboard a low cost big that could bolster the frontcourt and keep this team’s core in place. It’s difficult to envision the Celtics being able to retain Simons long term given their spending limitations and roster needs. This group may be able to compete enough in the present to overlook that.
Ultimately, it’s challenging to believe a hot month or two by Simons will impact Stevens’ master plan too much. If getting a pricey big and/or getting out the tax is a priority, Simons is still a likely player to be on the move. However, it’s impressive his play has reached a level where consideration is worth giving to a stand pat route. Amid a season full of pleasant surprises for Boston, Simons’ impact keeps rising on the list despite his uncertain future.