He's gone Boston fans....He's finally gone..
You can put the pitchforks down now.
Georges Niang has finally been traded along with two second-round picks (those are quite valuable these days) for rookie R.J. Luis Jr. Who? Who cares? This trade finally gets the Celtics under the dreaded second apron, and we can finally look forward to the next season transition season with Tatum rehabbing from his Achilles tear.
The biggest news to come out of this is that Anfernee Simons is likely staying put. Acquired in the Jrue Holiday deal, the 26-year-old guard had been widely viewed as a cap casualty due to his expiring $27.6 million contract.
Celtics No Longer Have to Trade Anfernee Simons
Now, with the Niang deal providing some financial breathing room, the Celtics no longer have to move him. The electric scoring guard is no longer an expendable asset. In fact, with Tatum sidelined, Simons becomes borderline indispensable. Boston will need his offensive firepower to help fill the scoring void next season.
Yes, Simons has his flaws; no one's perfect, and he is a defensive liability. He frequently gets targeted and is often unable to contain larger and more physical guards. However, his offensive talent is undeniable. He can get hot in a hurry, drop 30 on any given night, and has a great ability to create his own shot in crunch-time situations. Last season, he averaged 19.3 points per game with strong shooting splits: 42.6% from the field, 36.3% from three, and a solid 90.2% from the line. Unlike many "great stats-on-bad-teams" guys, Simons has shown he can play efficiently in a more limited role, something he did early in his career behind Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in Portland.
The fit with Boston just makes this move even more enticing. We all know Mazzulla-ball and the way the Celtics like to move around and spray threes from beyond the arc. Simons might be the perfect kind of player to bring into that system and let him loose. He could thrive playing off Jaylen Brown and Derrick White next season and be the guy who hits the open three when the defense collapses.
When his shot isn't there, he has the ability to beat people off the dribble and get to the cup. Yes, defensively, there is no sugarcoating it, he is a traffic cone, but the Celtics have a great team defense that will pick up some of that slack and make him look good.
Anfernee Simons is here to stay, at least for now. With the Niang trade clearing space under the second apron and the signing of Chris Boucher, our genius Brad Stevens has likely pressed pause on his moves for this offseason. This upcoming season isn’t about chasing a title, it’s a bridge year, a necessary reload while Tatum rehabs and the roster resets for a full-speed title run in 2026-27.
In that time, Simons will get every opportunity to shine, launch from deep, score in bunches, and remind the league what a 26-year-old flamethrower can do when handed the keys to a high-powered offense.
If the Celtics can coax even a marginal improvement on the defensive end through their scheme and culture, Simons’ value will skyrocket. And when the February 2026 trade deadline rolls around, Boston could be holding one of the league’s most attractive trade chips: a prime scoring guard on an expiring deal, with proven production. Simons is the perfect rebuild weapon, and he’s exactly where he needs to be.