All Anfernee Simons has ever known in his NBA life is the Portland Trail Blazers. But that's all about to change for the 26-year-old guard.
After spending the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Trail Blazers, he is headed to the East Coast with Portland's trade to send Simons to the Boston Celtics for Jrue Holiday becoming official Monday.
Simons made sure to leave Portland on good terms as he wrote a heartfelt message on Instagram thanking the Trail Blazers for his time with the organization.
"PDX, I appreciate you for bringing in a 19 year old who never left Florida all the way across the country. Took me a few years to get comfortable but eventually became home," Simons wrote. "My time here I went from a kid to a man. To all my teammates and coaches since my rookie year, I appreciate y'all for making great memories, relationships, and making me feel comfortable. Thank you to everybody in the front office for the support as well. To the fans I appreciate you guys support through the ups and downs. God doesn't give us challenges or changes we can’t handle. A new journey begins but the goals remain the same."
The Trail Blazers selected Simons 24th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Simons played in only 20 games as a rookie, but showed significant improvement to become a mainstay in the lineup from there on. Simons averaged 15 points with 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds during his career with the Trail Blazers while shooting 38.1% from 3-point range.
Simons joins a Celtics team reconstructing their roster this offseason to avoid the second apron, but Simons might not be with Boston for long. Rumors have swirled that Simons, who will make $27.7 million for the 2025-26 campaign before becoming a free agent after the season, could be the next piece Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens moves in the cost-cutting initiative Boston took on.
So, Simons might not be getting too comfortable yet with his new team.
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