Anfernee Simons, Boston Celtics
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Anfernee Simons, Boston Celtics
On the second night of a back-to-back, the Boston Celtics fell to the Chicago Bulls 111-114.
During his postgame news conference, Anfernee Simons refused to make excuses. His comments were centered around Boston playing through a double-overtime in the win over the Brooklyn Nets just 24 hours earlier.
“Coming off the double overtime, not getting to the hotel until 4 o’clock in the morning,” Simons said. “Having come in here on an emotional night. Those things can play a factor. But, we’re not going to give ourselves any of those types of excuses. We knew we came here to play a game. Coming here fully expecting to win the game. No matter the cost, no matter what obstacles we had to go through before the game, the night before, it doesn’t even matter. We’ve got to come together and just win a ballgame. And that’s really the attitude that we have.”
The loss came on the same night the Bulls retired Derrick Rose’s jersey.
Nevertheless, these Celtics aren’t focused on sentimentality. They were clearly frustrated by the loss. Boston will undoubtedly look to get things back on track when it faces the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Simons Drawing Interest Ahead Of Trade Deadline
According to ClutchPoint’s Tom Azerly, Simons, who is in the final year of his $100 million contract, is drawing the interest of the Los Angeles Clippers.
“Other players that have been linked to the Clippers over the last several days are Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons, and Coby White,” Azarly reported. “All three players are on expiring contracts and are currently on teams that likely prefer to move them for the right price. The Clippers are in need for another ball-handler and playmaker who could spell James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, so any of those three players could be an upgrade at the guard position for LA.”
Simons has been viewed as a potential trade chip for the Celtics this season. His expiring contract and $27 million salary make him the ideal trade piece. That is, if Brad Stevens looks to improve the current rotation in the coming weeks.
Celtics Could Look To Keep Simons Long-Term
Simons was certainly viewed as a trade chip earlier in the season. However, his performances off the Celtics bench may have changed the front office’s calculus. As such, Stevens may wish to explore the viability of inking Simons to a contract extension with the franchise.
NBA cap expert Keith Smith detailed what a potential contract could look like if the Celtics opt to keep Simons with the team beyond the current season. His comments came via a recent appearance on the “Celtics Chronicle” podcast.
“I think Simon’s contract number is gonna come down,” Smith said. “The teams with cap space aren’t gonna be overly interested in giving it to him. …I think he’s gonna be more around the mid-level amount. Now, if I’m the Celtics, I’m okay with giving him a little bit more than the mid-level. Just to keep his number a little higher for future trade reasons down the line.”
Smith continued.
“So, if they started around $15, $16 million, I don’t have a huge issue with that. Even if they went as high as $20 in year one, and then did it as a descending contract that came down slightly year to year, that would be fine too.”
Clearly, the Celtics have multiple options available regarding Simons. If he continues to produce at a high level and embodies the growing “no excuses” mentality within the roster, Stevens may find it difficult to trade him ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.