The Celtics have big decisions to make before the NBA trade deadline in two weeks, and one of their key contributors is garnering interest on the trade market. Boston reserve guard Anfernee Simons has been linked to the Clippers over the last several days, according to Clippers reporter Tomer Azarly. Point guard Collin Sexton and Coby White have also been linked to LA per Azarly.
The Clippers have been mentioned as a potential trade partner for the Celtics for several weeks now after Boston registered interest in Clippers big man Ivica Zubac. Simons is currently on a $28 million expiring deal for the Celtics and has seen his name floated in trade rumors ever since his arrival in Boston last July.
“That’s the NBA,” Simons said earlier this month. “I’ve been in trade rumors since my third year, every other week it seemed like. So it’s just a part of the NBA and you’ve just got to be where your feet are.”
Simons has been an impressive contributor for Boston over the past two months off the bench, averaging 14 points per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range. He’s also appeared in all 42 of Boston’s games.
The Clippers could use some additional help in their backcourt following their ugly divorce with Chris Paul but finding a trade that sends Simons to the Clippers and makes sense for Boston is tough without involving Zubac or a third team as a facilitator. The Clippers have righted the ship recently, going 13-3 after a 6-21 start to pull themselves back into the Western Conference playoff race, so it’s unclear if they have the appetite to move Zubac (under control for two more years) barring a monster offer.
The Celtics could elect to move Simons to help themselves on a couple of fronts. He’s a big salary that could help land a big man via trade or simply help the team dodge the luxury tax this season. Boston currently sits about $12 million over the luxury tax line with their current roster.
Whether the Celtics view getting out of the luxury tax as a priority is an open question given the team’s stunningly strong start to the season. Jayson Tatum appears to be progressing well with his recovery from a torn Achilles, setting the stage for a potential return later this year in a wide-open Eastern Conference. That return could ultimately make Simons more of an expendable piece as the team looks to bolster its frontcourt depth.
Simons’ situation remains worth watching as we inch closer to the trade deadline on February 5.