The Boston Celtics made a bold play this summer.
After losing five-time All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum to an Achilles tendon tear during the playoffs, general manager Brad Stevens opted to jettison three of his top six players, just one year removed from claiming the franchise's record 18th championship.
Stevens let free agent big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet walk, after apparently offering them veteran's minimum deals. He also traded starters Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in separate moves.
A summer of change for Boston
While Stevens subsequently offloaded his Porzingis trade return — forward Georges Niang and a second-round draft pick — plus an additional second-rounder to the Utah Jazz for an exception and a two-way signing, he held on to guard Anfernee Simons, acquired in the Holiday deal.
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Beyond All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown and All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White, the Celtics' other three starting spots are ostensibly wide open.
Simons and reigning Sixth Man of the Year are likely to compete for Boston's starting point guard nod. In theory, head coach Joe Mazzulla could shift White and Brown each up a position and start both, although defensively that could be fairly risky.
Per Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog, Simons apparently doesn't mind being possibly shifted to a bench role, even after starting for the past three seasons while with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Anfernee Simons on starting vs coming off the bench:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) September 29, 2025
“I want to contribute to winning at the highest level.. however that looks, I’m fine with it.” pic.twitter.com/5uA845dEDd
“I want to contribute to winning at the highest level," Simons said. "However that looks, I’m fine with it.”
Last year, Simons averaged 19.3 points while slashing .426/.363/.902 shooting splits, 4.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 70 contests. He's a defensive sieve, but a creative scorer and ball-handler.
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Simons, who's extension-eligible on an expiring $27.7 million deal, seems thrilled about joining an organization with the Celtics' storied championship pedigree.
The 26-year-old has only been on a handful of playoff-bound Trail Blazers squads, during his first three pro seasons when he was still a bench cog, and none of those teams won a playoff series. He's spent the last three years languishing on lottery-bound Portland squads.
The Celtics offloaded some significant talent this summer, but in a weak Eastern Conference still seem likely to at least compete for a play-in tournament spot.
Per Bobby Manning of CLNS Sports, Simons appears to be reveling in his new opportunity.
Simons: "You hear a lot of stories about getting traded ... I was super excited about the opportunity to come here and join a culture that's already been set ... playing at the highest level."
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) September 29, 2025
"You hear a lot of stories about getting traded," Simons said. "I was super excited about the opportunity to come here and join a culture that's already been set ... playing at the highest level."
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