The Celtics have been seeking out a trade partner for Anfernee Simons but haven’t had any success, Grant Afseth reports for FastbreakJournal.com.
The cost-cutting club shed Jrue Holiday‘s contract in exchange for Simons and a pair of second-round picks this offseason. Simons has averaged 19.9 points and 4.5 assists per game with a .436/.381/.901 shooting line over the past four seasons for Portland.
Simons has an expiring $27,678,571 contract and there’s been speculation since the trade was made that Boston might flip him. Last week, the Celtics traded Georges Niang to Utah and are now close to dropping under the first tax apron and less than $8MM over the luxury tax line. Dealing Simons could help them get under both the apron and the luxury tax line.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Draft-and-stash player Rokas Jokubaitis, whose rights are owned by the Knicks, has joined Bayern Munich on a three-year deal, according to a Bayern press release. Jokubaitis, a second-round pick in 2021, has seven years of EuroLeague experience. He played last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv, averaging 12.6 points per game in the EuroLeague, after three years with FC Barcelona. “Rokas is still so young, one of Europe’s biggest talents, yet he has already established himself as one of the leading point guards in the EuroLeague,” Bayern Munich’s sporting director Dragan Tarlac said.
- For the first time in four seasons, the Sixers were excluded from the league’s annual Christmas slate. They also don’t have a national TV game during opening week or Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That comes as no surprise, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. They wound up tanking due to injuries last season and won only 24 games. While they lucked into the lottery and selected VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers need Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey to stay relatively healthy. Alarm bells went off when George underwent knee surgery last month. He will be reevaluated prior to training camp.
- ICYMI, the Nets are taking a hard-line approach with restricted free agent Cam Thomas. Get the details here.
Paul having surgery, Embiid refusing to do so…things aren’t looking good for Philly. They really need to pivot to their young guys but are stuck with the Embiid and Paul contracts. Going to set them back along time.
Trust the Process.
Celtics didn’t end up getting those second-rounders once the Simons-Holiday trade was finalized, just FYI.
Still shocked how low Simons’ trade value is, but a lot of guys can seemingly do what he does these days. I still think he’s being under-valued, and he’s a good dude, so I hope he ends up in a place he can prove some folks wrong.
Simons plays no defense and needs Boston as much as Boston needs him to play well to move him. Simons will do really well in Bostons offense. If Boston is in a gap year, they can have Hauser off the bench and have 4 to 5 solid 3 pts shooters to spread the floor.
I would expect Brad is fine with Simons playing until the trade deadline and then moving him.
Brad is smart, real SMAARRT. I Trust Brads evaluation of players.
Vuce for Simons?
Give the Celtics a centre and more savings. Maybe insurance policy for Bulls if Giddey goes or they make the move and line up a Kuminga for Giddey deal? Even if they do it just to try trade Simon’s at the deadline ?
Could possibly even do a Vuce and Pat Will for Simons and Hauser.
Gets them out of Pat Wills deal but maybe Celtics like him and a 3 and D forward. Either that or decent trade chip in the future on a 18mil contract. His play style would be a great fit in Boston and he’s definitely build up his value.
Why? Vuce is 34 does not fit their time line and Williams is hot garbage. Hauser is staying, he is cheap shoots well from 3 and plays solid D.
Brad wants a young cost control big, not an aged has been who does nothing for the team.
IF the Celts are basically tanking, Vuce does nothing for them. Celts are looking for a guy that other teams under value to let develop, since they are good at developing talent.
Next year, they will get a vet to put with Tatum, Brown, White, Pritchard, Hauser and probably Gonzales.
People keep pushing Vuce bc he is big and Chicago wants to move him…I wonder why they want to move him?
My guess is Boston wants to move Simons to a team like Memphis with young cheap bigs, but Memphis would rather keep the bigs.
Also, Boston has to do nothing, Trade deadline is the key, not off season. I trust Brad, the guy knows players.