According to Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico, Anfernee Simons might not make it to training camp at the Auerbach Center next month with Philadelphia and Denver looking to trade for the young scorer:
“…the Sixers are looking to bounce back from a lost year after injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George. You could make a strong case for them as the league’s biggest flop in 2024-25.
The Nuggets have already made one big trade this summer, acquiring forward Cam Johnson from the Nets for forward Michael Porter Jr. They are said to be looking for backcourt help behind starters Jamal Murray and Christian Braun — but given their salary constraints, it would take a minor miracle to pull off another deal.
Sources said the Bucks could be another team that will make a run at Simons before training camp.”
For the Celtics, this tracks. Despite being the most talented player Boston traded for this summer, he’s yet to have a formal press conference as a Celtic and his name has only been briefly mentioned by President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens.
“Anfernee is a really good young player who has continuously improved in his seven years in the NBA,” Stevens said via the team’s official press release.
It’s been reported that the front office has been trying to find a new home for him after being acquired in the Jrue Holiday trade and until September 29th when Media Day and training camp opens up, that rumor mill will keep spinning.
Simons has averaged nearly 20 points a game for the last four seasons and there’s no doubt he can be a prolific scorer as a starter or a 6th man off a contender’s bench. He’s due just $27 million in the final year of his rookie extension, but can’t be dealt until September 7th when the trade restriction is lifted.
So, what could a deal with the Sixers, Nuggets, or Bucks look like? A first-round pick (or maybe two or multiple seconds) would be a prerequisite. Would it be worth getting hard capped in a sign-and-trade deal for Quentin Grimes? Probably not. There’s no way Denver parts ways with Aaron Gordon. And unless Milwaukee GM Jon Horst is willing to unload a ransom of firsts, Kyle Kuzma won’t cut it.
Alas, this all just sounds like mid-August scuttlebutt in the dead of basketball winter.
