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The Boston Celtics only recently acquired Anfernee Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Jrue Holiday, but with the team still looking to shed some salary, Simons could be on the move before even taking the court for the Celtics. If that does end up happening, the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers could be a pair of potential landing spots for him.
Simons has turned himself into a solid scorer early in his career, as he is fresh off averaging 19.3 points on 42.6% shooting for the Trail Blazers last season. While Boston has gotten under the second apron of the salary cap, they still have work to do to avoid the first apron, which is why a trade involving Simons is on the table. If they do want to move him, it seems like the Bulls could be the most sensible destination for him.
“After trading Lonzo Ball on Saturday and continuing to field calls about Coby White, the Chicago Bulls may need a new guard next to Josh Giddey, who the team intends to re-sign in free agency,” Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints wrote. “The Bulls like to play fast and shoot a lot of threes, which would fit Simons' style of play perfectly.”
“More importantly, from Boston's point of view, Nikola Vucevic is a veteran big man who would make a lot of sense as a one-year replacement for Porzingis. Such a swap would immediately move the Celtics out of the first apron and give them a key veteran at center. Although there is no confirmation that the two teams have discussed such a scenario, the Celtics have been mentioned by league sources as a team with interest in Vucevic previously.”
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Clippers could also be potential landing spot for Anfernee Simons
Considering Chicago's need for backcourt help, and Boston's long-standing interest in Nikola Vucevic (plus their need for help at center after trading Kristaps Porzingis), the premise for a trade is already in place. Of course, the Bulls aren't the only potential suitor for Simons, as the Clippers were also floated as a potential trade partner, although there are a couple of different issues they are dealing with that could make a deal more difficult to pull off.
“Another team worth mentioning regarding Simons, if the Celtics were to relocate him again, is the Los Angeles Clippers,” Siegel said. “Simons is a player LA has been linked to previously in trade rumors, but the Clippers have their own problems to sort through with Norman Powell in the final year of his contract and James Harden potentially opting out to demand more money in free agency.”
Even though the Celtics have already swung a pair of big trades this offseason, it seems like their work is only just getting started. Simons could ultimately stay put, but if teams begin to swarm Boston for him on the trade market, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get dealt, with Chicago and Los Angeles immediately standing out as a pair of logical suitors.
