NBA Rumors: Celtics ‘Actively Trying To Trade Anfernee Simons’

The Boston Celtics are “actively trying to trade Anfernee Simons,” according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN. 

The Celtics acquired Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers in the Jrue Holiday trade. 

“I have talked to other teams who have said they are actively trying to trade Anfernee Simons,” Windhorst said on his podcast. “Whether they can or not is another.”

Simons will make $27.7 million next season in the final year of his contract. The Celtics traded Holiday to Portland and Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks to save money. 

Boston lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2025 playoffs in six games after winning the 2024 championship against the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Celtics star Jayson Tatum is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season recovering from his Achilles injury. 

Simons played in 70 games for the Trail Blazers last season. He averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 42.6% from the field, 36.3% from beyond the arc and 90.2% from the free-throw line. 

Simons has career averages of 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He won the 2021 Slam Dunk Contest. 

The Celtics will no longer get draft picks from the Trail Blazers in the Holiday, Simons trade, according to NBA insider Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

“According to multiple league sources, concerns were raised because of ‘new findings’ during Jrue Holiday’s medical examinations,” Himmelsbach wrote. “Sources said they were not substantial enough for the deal to be nullified, but they did give the Trail Blazers pause.

“So, Boston agreed to move forward with the deal without the 2030 and 2031 second-round picks that Portland originally agreed to send to Boston. Sources declined to reveal specifics of Holiday’s situation but stressed that the point guard was continuing his normal offseason training regimen without restriction. He is expected to be fully healthy for the start of training camp, too.”