Celtics
The Celtics traded for Simons from the Trail Blazers late Monday evening.
The Celtics have acquired Anfernee Simons in a trade with the Trail Blazers, though he may not spend much time in Boston.
Reports indicate that Boston is “exploring” potential trade options for Simons to enhance their roster flexibility, particularly to retain free agents Al Horford and Luke Kornet, as noted by The Athletic‘s Jay King.
After trading Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers and Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks, the Celtics managed to reduce their salary under the luxury tax apron. However, they still face a substantial luxury tax with around $203 million committed for the upcoming season, considering Hugo Gonzalez’s rookie contract.
Trading Simons, who has a salary of $27.7 million for the 2025-26 season, could be an effective way to create room under the cap. Being in the final year of his contract makes him an attractive trade option.
However, a deal involving Simons alone may not significantly alleviate the Celtics’ luxury tax situation, as only the Nets can absorb his salary without moving a player. Other teams are generally at or over the salary cap, which restricts Boston to clearing approximately $7.5 million in a Simons trade.
Currently, the Celtics are approximately $16 million above the luxury tax threshold, and they have yet to officially announce the trade involving Holiday and Simons, which included Boston acquiring two second-round picks from Portland. The pending announcement may facilitate the addition of other teams, a common practice in offseason trades to manage salaries.
Apart from Simons, potential salary shedding could involve moving players like Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, or Payton Pritchard, but these players have been mentioned by Stevens as key components of the team’s future. Stevens emphasized the importance of maintaining their core group while seeking to acquire a center following the Porzingis trade.
Ultimately, Stevens aims to bolster the roster to retain Horford and Kornet, who will enter free agency. He acknowledged the challenges but expressed a strong desire to keep both players in the fold.
