“Simons may never play a game in a Celtics uniform. His departure from Boston is written on the wall, and teams have taken note,” said NESN reporter Colin Keane. Despite acquiring guard Anfernee Simons in a June trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, reports reveal that the Boston Celtics will stick to their offseason plan of cutting salary to stay below the NBA’s second luxury tax apron. With Simon’s contract expiring, the player has become the obvious candidate for a trade, and rumors have already linked him to other teams. Amidst this, one name has popped up that offers the 26-year-old a chance to play with a 2x MVP who is hungry for another championship title.

According to ‘Hoops Wire’ reporter Sam Amico, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets are standing out as the two top candidates to make an appeal for Anfernee Simons. In 2025-26, Simons will earn a base salary of $27,678,571—fully guaranteed. At the same time, as Sam Amico wrote, “Sources said the Bucks could be another team that will make a run at Simons before training camp”. The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly been “pushing their chips in”. 

This comes amidst the months-old rumors that Giannis Antetokounmpo was looking to be traded from the team after finishing in the first round of the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons. Shams Charania reported that for the first time in his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo is “open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere.”

The acquisition of Myles Turner allows one player to be paired with Giannis in the frontcourt. However, before it is too late, the Bucks still need to get some help in the backcourt. Anfernee Simons is a “logical addition”, as reported by ‘Athlon Sports’ reporter Andy Patton. After all, the shooting guard can provide floor spacing, and an experience that spans 7 years.

Anfernee Simons doesn’t have much trade value at the moment because, as ‘Athlon Sports’ reporter Matt John reported, the player will make almost $27.7 million in his last season, which is “pretty expensive for a player who has not and may never make the All-Star team”. However, the Bucks have a total cap allocation of $171.786 million, which isn’t as bad as the other NBA franchises.

The Celtics are reportedly inclined to part ways with Anfernee Simons. However, with Jayson Tatum’s status for the next NBA season still unclear, the Celtics will be needing a worthwhile player in exchange for the shooting guard.

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo’s team cut ties with Kyle Kuzma to acquire Anfernee Simons?

The Milwaukee Bucks have not shown any indication towards trading for Giannis. Therefore, for a trade, they will have to move to another player with offensive star power. ‘Behind the Buck Pass’ reporter Jack Simone recently stated that “The Celtics’ primary goal this summer has been to save money, and flipping Simons for Kyle Kuzma would help Boston do that. But only in the short-term. They probably won’t want to take on Kuzma’s future money in a trade”.

A trade proposal back in July had indicated that the Boston Celtics could get Kyle Kuzma, AJ Green, and a 2027 first-round pick (NOLA) in exchange for Anfernee Simons. ‘Fadeaway World’ claimed that, for the Celtics, the addition of Kyle Kuzma and AJ Green “have very little value in terms of what they can contribute to the team”. However, in Jayson Tatum’s absence, any additional offensive firepower can help. Having averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 65 games last season, Kuzma can help. Furthermore, on short-term deals, Boston could reportedly look to offload the duo in the following season.

Simone added that “depending on how desperate the Bucks get for perimeter scoring, they could potentially work out a deal that doesn’t include Kuzma. However, it would almost definitely have to include Bobby Portis Jr., which Milwaukee could be hesitant to do”.

Whether the Bucks change their mind in the coming days in order to use Anfernee Simons to improve the backcourt is something that remains to be seen.