With only three weeks left until the NBA trade deadline, the Boston Celtics are one of the most fascinating teams in the league. Having exceeded all expectations in a season that was expected to be a gap year, the Celtics have forced their fans into dreaming about a deep postseason run. This has changed the calculation for Boston, which can now see itself as a team that can win the Eastern Conference with the right moves at the deadline.
Any big move that the Celtics make would almost certainly have to include Anfernee Simons. The 26-year-old combo guard and his expiring $27.6 million salary are the best trade chips the Celtics have. Attaching draft capital to Simons' contract could bring back a true difference-maker in the frontcourt. While Celtics fans have long anticipated a trade involving Simons, the former Blazer may have earned himself a spot on the roster at least until the end of the season.
Anfernee Simons May Have Extended His Stay in Boston Past Trade Deadline
Simons is in the midst of his best stretch of the season. After averaging less than 24 minutes per game all season, the 6'3" sharpshooter has played at least 25 minutes in each of Boston's last four games. In the six games in the new year, Simons has made 58.5% of his threes and has an incredible True Shooting% of 69.1, while averaging 15.2 points and 3.5 assists per game.
This unsustainably hot shooting will obviously not continue, but Simons has turned a corner. He is playing with a ton of confidence and seems completely unaffected by trade rumors. Simons said, "That’s the NBA. 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," per MassLive's Brian Robb on Saturday.
Earlier last week, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto had reported that the Celtics have been unwilling to part with a future first-round pick to offload Simons. He also added that Boston is reluctant to give up Simons' expiring salary and take back long-term money. This likely hurts the trade market for Simons, who may finish out the season in Boston and evaluate his options in free agency in the summer of 2026.
Simons is currently thriving in his new role as a dynamic bench scorer. As long as he takes shots with confidence and hits them at an elite rate, he will have a role for Joe Mazzulla. This recent hot stretch may have earned him some time, but he needs to keep it going and take a discount in his new contract if he is to stay in Boston for the 2026-27 season.