Boston Celtics Actively Shopping Young Star

This past summer was a big one for the Boston Celtics, and after Jayson Tatum went down with an injury to end their 2024-25 season, they made plenty of changes ahead of the new year. Perhaps the biggest move of all was acquiring former first-round pick Anfernee Simons, who many believed would thrive in the environment that Boston provides.

In his first NBA season away from Portland, Simons has thrived off the bench, averaging 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 25 minutes played per game. At 26 years of age, Simons is young enough to be a key piece for Boston moving forward with the return of Tatum potentially looming, but the latest reports have now suggested otherwise.

According to Evan Sidery, the team is now actively shopping him in pursuit of an impact center, naming the likes of Ivica Zubac, Onyeka Okongwu, Daniel Gafford, and Nic Claxton as players they have their eyes on.

While Simons has provided a solid impact, this is a team that has Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White in the backcourt, and with Tatum potentially returning this season, it makes sense to instead pursue an upgrade at the five.

Ultimately, Simons has been a positive acquisition for the Celtics, but given that the team is sitting in second place in the standings in the Eastern Conference, a move to solidify their frontcourt is the way to go, and it likely means he’ll be dealt ahead of the deadline.