Boston Celtics Seek Trade for Anfernee Simons Amid Contract Concerns

The Boston Celtics face a challenging situation with Anfernee Simons, who is entering the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 NBA season. The Celtics acquired Simons in a trade for Jrue Holiday but are now seeking to trade him to reduce their salary cap burden, especially with star forward Jayson Tatum likely to miss the entire season. Several teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and Brooklyn Nets, have shown interest in acquiring Simons, though trade discussions have stalled, partly due to the high draft assets demanded by the Celtics. Analysts suggest the Celtics could benefit from a three-team trade involving Terance Mann and Ochai Agbaji to shed salary, but no deal has materialized yet. The 76ers are viewed as a plausible destination for Simons, who could provide much-needed scoring and youth to complement their core. Meanwhile, the Nets have explored acquiring Simons as a more well-rounded guard than their current options but have been deterred by Boston's steep asking price in draft picks.