When the Boston Celtics turned Jrue Holiday into Anfernee Simons in an offseason trade, there was some optimism among the fanbase. Simons was younger, cheaper, and potentially a good fit as an elite three-point shooter. The Celtics could evaluate him and decide on whether to give him a contract extension, as his contract is set to expire after the season. After the first two months of the season, however, the Celtics haven't exactly gotten what they were looking for in Simons.
On paper, Simons is doing just fine. He is shooting 38% from three and is giving decent scoring and shot creation off the bench for the Celtics. He averages 13 points and 2.5 assists in 23.7 minutes per game on 56.9% True Shooting. Having a third guard who can put points up in league-average efficiency is not bad, but it's certainly not worth the $27.6 million Simons is getting paid this season.
Anfernee Simons' Time with Celtics Is Ticking Down
More importantly, it's obvious that the Celtics don't really need Simons. He has his lowest usage rate in five seasons with 22.5, despite mostly playing on second units. He is also playing his fewest minutes per game in five years and is rarely closing games for head coach Joe Mazzulla. He hasn't played over 27 minutes or scored 20 points in a game in almost a month.
Simons' calling card is his shooting, and the Celtics aren't utilizing it enough. Despite being one of the best off-the-dribble shooters in the league, Simons is only taking three pull-up threes per game as a Celtic, per NBA.com data. He was taking 4.2 per game last season and 4.9 the season prior. This helped his team by creating more space for his teammates and opening driving lanes for himself.
On the Celtics, his most important skill set is underutilized. When that is the case, there is very little else Simons can do. He is not the best scorer inside the arc and doesn't get to the free-throw line too often. He is undersized and is a liability on defense. This makes him a poor fit next to Payton Pritchard. When Pritchard is playing almost 33 minutes per game and never misses time, it doesn't leave too many minutes for Simons.
This makes Simons an expensive luxury, making it unlikely that the Celtics will re-sign him over the summer. This leaves trading him ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline the only reasonable option. The Celtics could fill his salary slot with a player who can be a part of their long-term plans. There are probably teams around the league who would want to bring Simons in and make him a core piece. The Celtics aren't there as a franchise, and they should attach draft capital next to his salary to get an upgrade sooner rather than later.