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Anfernee Simons is a key figure in the Boston Celtics trade deadline plans. <\/p>\n
The Boston Celtics<\/a> did not expect to be here.<\/p>\n A season that was initially framed as a bridge year after Jayson Tatum<\/a>\u2019s season-ending Achilles injury has turned into a legitimate Eastern Conference push. Boston entered Wednesday at 18\u201311, good for third in the East, forcing the front office to reconsider how aggressively \u2014 or conservatively \u2014 it approaches the Feb. 5 NBA<\/a> trade deadline.<\/p>\n Celtics\u2019 Simons Trade Plan Comes Into Focus<\/p>\n At the center of that recalibration is\u00a0Anfernee Simons<\/a>, Boston\u2019s biggest offseason acquisition and most flexible trade chip.<\/p>\n According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Celtics are now open to keeping Simons beyond the deadline \u2014 a notable shift for a team that had previously viewed him primarily as a salary-matching tool.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Celtics could opt to play things clean and simple and search for deals that offload the scoring guard\u2019s $27.6 million salary to help Boston duck the luxury tax during Jayson Tatum\u2019s gap year,\u201d Fischer wrote<\/a> in The Stein Line. \u201cBoston, though, unexpectedly entered Tuesday\u2019s play at 18\u201311 \u2014 good for third in the East. So imagine the Celtics turning Simons\u2019 deal into a frontcourt contributor. Perhaps then the Celts could truly challenge the likes of Detroit and New York in a wide-open conference, even if Tatum stays sidelined for the entire season.<\/p>\n \u201cYet I must pass along that sources with knowledge of the Celtics\u2019 thinking say Boston could very well elect to keep Simons, too. I\u2019ve been told that they are willing to pay some level of luxury tax this season after the many millions they shed in the offseason by offloading Jrue Holiday<\/a> and Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Simons\u2019 Fit in Boston Remains Productive, If Modest<\/p>\n Simons has averaged 13.0 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 29 games with Boston, providing perimeter shot creation and spacing in Joe Mazzulla\u2019s three-point-heavy offense.<\/p>\n A career 38 percent three-point shooter and 14.9-point scorer, Simons has settled into a complementary role rather than the featured one he held in Portland. His production has been steady but not transformative \u2014 a reality that keeps him squarely in trade conversations.<\/p>\n Still, his contract makes him uniquely valuable. Simons is in the final year of a $27.7 million deal, allowing Boston to either pivot toward roster improvement or reduce payroll if necessary.<\/p>\n Celtics Previously Explored Simons Trades GettyDay\u2019Ron Sharpe of the Brooklyn Nets<\/a> looks for a pass around Luka Garza<\/a> of the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n In November, HoopsHype\u2019s Michael Scotto<\/a> reported that Boston explored multiple trade scenarios involving Simons shortly after acquiring him, including talks with the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n Scotto wrote that Boston and Brooklyn discussed \u201cseveral trade scenarios\u201d that eventually collapsed before the season began. Those talks occurred as the Celtics navigated the league\u2019s new second-apron restrictions while reshaping the roster around Tatum\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n The discussions were not limited to Simons. Scotto reported that Boston targeted Nets center Day\u2019Ron Sharpe<\/a> as a potential frontcourt solution. Although Boston could offer only a veteran minimum contract at the time, the team believed Sharpe could compete for a starting role.<\/p>\n Sharpe is averaging 7.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 16.3 minutes backing up Nic Claxton<\/a> in Brooklyn. Boston\u2019s interest reflected a persistent weakness \u2014 interior depth.<\/p>\n Frontcourt Needs Remain a Factor<\/p>\n The Celtics have relied heavily on Neemias Queta<\/a>, who is averaging 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, but Boston lacks a consistent second interior presence capable of anchoring lineups defensively and on the glass.<\/p>\n That reality is part of why Simons remains movable if the right opportunity arises.<\/p>\n \u201cI do suspect, though, that if Boston could somehow move Simons for a rotational upgrade and lower their tax bill in the process \u2014 or get out of that penalty zone altogether \u2014 that would check all of the boxes Brad Stevens\u2019 front office could conjure up,\u201d Fischer wrote.<\/p>\n Luxury Tax Looms, But Pressure Has Eased<\/p>\n Boston remains roughly $12 million over the luxury tax, but Scotto reported that the Celtics are not under pressure to dump salary unless the right deal presents itself.<\/p>\n That flexibility stems from significant savings already achieved by moving Holiday and Porzi\u0146\u0123is, and from ownership\u2019s willingness to absorb some tax if the team remains competitive.<\/p>\n Still, the Celtics have resisted attaching draft capital \u2014 particularly a first-round pick \u2014 simply to move Simons\u2019 contract, limiting their ability to manufacture cap relief.<\/p>\n A Deadline Defined by Optionality<\/p>\n Boston\u2019s trade deadline posture now reflects its unexpected success.<\/p>\n Rather than chasing salary relief or rebuilding assets, the Celtics are operating from a position of optionality \u2014 willing to stand pat, willing to improve, and no longer forced into retreat.<\/p>\n Simons embodies that choice.<\/p>\n Whether Boston ultimately keeps him, flips him for frontcourt help, or uses him to fine-tune the roster will shape how far this unanticipated season can go \u2014 and how the Celtics balance short-term competitiveness with long-term flexibility.<\/p>\n For now, the Celtics are no longer selling.<\/p>\n They are evaluating.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Celtics\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Anfernee Simons is a key figure in the Boston Celtics trade deadline plans. The Boston Celtics did…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":367696,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,459,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-367695","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=367695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/367696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=367695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=367695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=367695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GettyImages-2247859051-e1764269161492.jpg\")
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