The Boston Celtics reportedly have a couple of teams interested in their newly acquired guard, Anfernee Simons.
The Celtics acquired Simons on July 7, in a deal that sent 2024 NBA champion Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Since the deal, speculation has swirled that Boston desires to flip Simons in another cost-cutting move, especially with Simon’s contract expiring, after which he’s likely to demand a new, fairly lucrative deal that the currently frugal Celtics would surely steer clear of.
Simons may never play a game in a Celtics uniform. His departure from Boston is written on the wall, and teams have taken note. According to Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico, two squads, specifically, have expressed a desire to acquire Simons recently.
“The 76ers and Nuggets are among the teams that have expressed interest in a possible trade for Celtics guard Anfernee Simons, NBA sources told Hoops Wire,” Amico wrote on Sunday.
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The Denver fit for Simons makes sense. The Nuggets have re-tooled their roster around Nikola Jokić this summer, and adding a dynamic scorer in Simons — without being committed to him long-term — would align with Denver’s vision of returning to the NBA Finals in 2026 for the first time since their 2023 title. Amico did, however, express doubt that the Nuggets would be able to afford Simons. “Given their salary constraints, it would take a minor miracle to pull off another deal,” Amico wrote.
The 76ers make less sense for Simons, unless Philly is planning to subtract from their surplus of scoring guards currently on the roster.
Amico also mentioned the Milwaukee Bucks as a team that could look to snag Simons before the season starts.
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Simons, 26, averaged 19.3 points last season for Portland on 36.3 percent from three.