A month into the 2025-26 season, the Boston Celtics are exactly where most fans thought they would be: hovering around .500 and a play-in spot. They beat bad teams but struggle against contenders. Barring major injuries, they will likely continue at this pace. If Jayson Tatum were to miraculously return early, the Celtics could still have a chance to make a run in the second half of the season, but the fans should temper their expectations. This season was always going to be about setting the team up for the future, and that hasn't changed.
The Celtics could still pursue trades with that objective in mind. Brad Stevens is known to not leave any stone unturned and will likely continue doing so until the trade deadline in February. Before then, however, there is an important date coming up. On December 15, players who signed free agent deals in the offseason become trade-eligible. This opens up new options for any team looking to make deals, including the Celtics.
Anfernee Simons Is Playing Himself Out of Boston Ahead of December 15
The most fascinating trade candidate in Boston is Anfernee Simons. The 26-year-old point guard arrived in the offseason from Portland as part of the Jrue Holiday trade. He is on an expiring contract and makes $27.6 million. The Celtics could choose to move on from him to save some money or bring in a player who could be a long-term piece with the Jaylen Brown-Tatum-Derrick White-Payton Pritchard core.
There was some thought that Simons could play himself into a contract extension with the Celtics. Through the first 15 games of the season, that hasn't been the case. In fact, he has been more of an afterthought.
Simons has been marginalized in the rotation, coming off the bench and averaging 24.5 minutes per game. His usage rate of 22.9% is the lowest of his career since the 2020-21 season. His numbers across the board have seen a decline, as he averages 13.3 points and 2.3 assists per game on 41.3/40.4/84.0 shooting splits. Despite seeing a reduction in his playing time and usage, Simons' efficiency hasn't seen an uptick as he has a below-league-average True Shooting of 55.9%.
Season | Minutes per Game | Usage Rate | True Shooting |
|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 35.0 | 25.1% | 58.1% |
2023-24 | 34.4 | 28.0% | 56.8% |
2024-25 | 32.7 | 24.6% | 55.7% |
2025-26 | 24.5 | 22.9% | 55.9% |
With Pritchard and White in the backcourt, there is not much room for Simons. Pritchard already fills the role of an undersized offense-first, scoring-minded guard. His fit with Simons is questionable due to size and defensive concerns, limiting how many minutes the former Blazer can realistically play.
This makes Simons too much of a luxury to keep around at his salary. A 3-and-D wing or a two-way center for that salary slot would be a better fit for the Celtics as they look to build their team of the future.