The Boston Celtics are in a very strange spot coming out of a tough series of events, with their superstar Jayson Tatum set to miss significant time due to an Achilles injury. They’ve also made it clear this offseason that offloading money wherever they can has been a top priority as they aim to get out of the dreaded luxury tax.
But with that focus, the Celtics' starpower has significantly diminished, as they've lost both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, leaving guys like Anfernee Simons and ex-Raptors bench great Chris Boucher largely relied on to step up in their place (at least as their roster currently stands). Regarding the Simons fit, it seems he's the candidate most likely to be on the move as September and October draw near, with recent reports indicating the Celtics have been taking calls and gauging interest.
Now I have by no means had Simons anywhere near the Raptors' radar, whether he's been made obvious as available or not, but as this recent Bleacher Report trade idea piece suggests, Simons could be the guy whose "volume and efficiency he can bring as a three-point shooter could help a team in need of boosts in those categories."
Apparently, it looks like the Toronto Raptors have been identified as a team that could use Anfernee Simons.
Raptors tabbed as a landing spot for Anfernee Simons
So, here's the three-team deal proposed by Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey, wherein the the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, and Toronto Raptors are all involved. The moving pieces are highlighted as follows:
- Celtics receive: Terance Mann, Ochai Agbaji and a 2030 second-round pick from Toronto
- Raptors receive: Anfernee Simons
- Nets receive: R.J. Barrett and a 2031 second-round pick from Boston
Bailey highlights in his piece that the Raptors were "29th in threes per game and 23rd in three-point percentage," which, he notes, "... makes them an interesting landing spot for a guard who's averaged 2.9 threes and shot 38.6 percent from deep over the last five seasons."
And that glaring weakness in the Raptors is highly evident, which is largely why I've held the sentiment that Toronto should have looked to address this in the draft or by adding more pronounced shooters to their roster. However, if you know how the Raptors operate, even as they navigate this post-Masai Ujiri era, Toronto values guys who work their you-know-whats off on defense just as much as a player who can shoot the lights out.
And Simons is largely viewed as a subpar defender, which won't be masked in Toronto even if he's playing alongside a talented defense anchored by Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and likely the newcomer Collin Murray-Boyles. Sure, it's easy for Bailey to point out that Toronto parting ways with guys like RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji opens the door for a Scottie Barnes/Brandon Ingram pairing to take the spotlight, which in turn makes a less clunky fit with Simons, likely the guy they can kick the ball out to on the perimeter.
But I think Bailey missed the new overlap created by having Simons and Immanuel Quickley in the backcourt.
All due respect to Quickley, but that backcourt is just two small guards who aren't good defenders and heavily focused on scoring. I've raised the serious concern that Toronto needs someone who can lead the backcourt as a strong playmaker more than anything. It could be an elite talent like Trae Young or someone else, but Anfernee Simons simply isn't the answer.
Boston needs to save money, but I’d prefer it be done without causing more issues in Toronto.