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Jaylen Brown: Anfernee has all the respect in the world from me. Uh, it’s a business, but there’s a human aspect to it. And since he’s been here, he’s contributed to winning. He’s won us some games. He’s just a great, great person—great kid—on and off the floor. Just humble. Like, I hope he gets everything that he’s looking for, just because he just fit right in with this group of guys in that locker room. I mean, he could have had, you know, different thoughts and thought differently, and his energy could have been different. Man, he was a great teammate and did everything he needed to do that we asked him—and more—and contributed to winning. So Anfernee has all the respect in the world from me, and I hope he gets everything he deserves.
Adam Himmelsbach: Per source, the Simons/Vucevic trade will not be officially completed tonight, as the teams keep doors open for potential minor tweaks. Celtics used the Porzingis trade exception to acquire Vucevic, so created a new $27 mil exception by trading away Simons.
Keith Smith: The Celtics will bring Nikola Vucevic in via the Kristaps Porzingis TPE, a league source told @spotrac. This will create a $27,678,571 TPE for Anfernee Simons that will be good for one year from the day the trade is officially completed.
Michael Scotto: The Celtics previously proposed Anfernee Simons, a first-round pick, and a future first-round pick swap for Clippers center Ivica Zubac and salary filler, which the Clippers declined, sources said. Boston also inquired on Jaren Jackson Jr. Instead, Boston lands Nikola Vucevic.
Michael Scotto: Before the Celtics tied for second in the East, the Bulls proposed trading Nikola Vucevic for Anfernee Simons and a Celtics first-round pick, which Boston declined, as reported on @hoopshype January 28 below. Today, they swapped those players and sent a second-round pick each.
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Yossi Gozlan: The Bulls are now just $4.5 million under the luxury tax line by swapping Nikola Vucevic for Anfernee Simons. They also now have a comical logjam of guards. Bringing in both Simons and Jaden Ivey feels like they could be moving on from both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.
Shams Charania: BREAKING: The Chicago Bulls are trading center Nikola Vucevic and a second-round pick to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
Simons has created plenty of fans within the organization over his short time with the Celtics. Still, his $27.7 million expiring contract has made him a trade candidate since he arrived in Boston. As much as the Celtics value Simons and the way he has fit in, the reality is that his role would also change if Tatum returns this season. In that scenario, Boston would have less of a need for Simons’ scoring. The team is exploring paths to swap Simons and potentially draft capital for a big man, according to league sources.
In any trade for significant salary, the Celtics would be likely to part ways with Anfernee Simons, according to league sources. That wouldn’t be an easy loss for the team to stomach, as he has acclimated himself well in Boston. Based on all indications, the Celtics have appreciated Simons’ approach this season.
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Sam Yip: Do you see Anfernee Simons staying with the team beyond this season? Do you think he'll get extension or anything like that? Bobby Manning: I lean yes right now because I feel like from the trade market perspective from Portland obviously who ended up just moving on from him in the holiday deal as well as the Celtics who explored trading him. I know you guys had a bunch of reporting on that over on HoopsHype, and how that Nets deal didn't come together. I don't think they've had much luck in moving on from him. From what I gather at the highest levels of the organization, he has fans, among the decision makers there. And I don't think this team is under pressure to just dodge the luxury tax from all the reporting that we've seen, as well as what I've heard, especially considering the position that they're in in the East right now. So, I think they face a tough trade-off between using that contract, which they could potentially lose this summer for nothing, to find a piece that's with them into the future, and maybe desiring to see this year out with Simons, who again has been an important part of this team dynamic.
Bobby Manning on Anfernee Simons’ future: He could be part of that into the future here, too. I'm sure he has some excitement about being part of a contender once Tatum returns, but how big of a part of that team is he? How much can they afford to pay him? I don't see much more than 10 million maybe per year for him here. And that's obviously a substantial drop off from the 27 that he's earning right now. So, we'll see if the numbers work and what opportunities out there for him this summer. I'm sure there will be some interest in him around the league once he is an unrestricted free agent. So, that's going to have to go into their decision- making um this off season along with, future financial interest for this team, too. I lean yes, that he'll be back, but I think it's about 50-50 right now.
Bobby Manning on Anfernee Simons’ future: The Celtics are obviously going to continue to be up against the second apron as well as the luxury tax into the future here. Is he the right player to use that mid-level exception on that mid-level kind of money on going forward? They obviously need some have some needs in the front court, but if they lose Simons, they'd have a need in the back court as well. And I love his fit here. I love the way he's complimented this team and has been able to step between stardom and a role pretty seamlessly. And again, it's just another pleasant surprise this season that there's been no real drama about that. The decisions have happened pretty naturally. There's been a few spots where you probably could use a little more Simons, a little less Pritchard, vice versa, but they've handled it well. They've balanced it well. all of them feel like they can step back and let the other guy perform if they don't have it on that night. And Joe Mazzulla has just generated great buying among these guys. And I get the sense from Simons that that is the biggest reason that he's been so amicable to his situation here is that Mazzulla has communicated it all well, told him from the start, if you don't defend, it's probably not going to go the way you want it to. Here was upfront about how he was going to challenge him on that end. And Simons has gotten better.
