When it comes to the discussion about the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, all of the excitement is obviously centered on the acquisition of Jaylen Brown and the possibility of LeBron James.
However, the Sixers have a new player on board who could quickly fire up his own hype train in Anfernee Simons.
it's not the most talked-about pick up of the offseason, but there are insiders and analysts making it clear that Simons is a solid pickup for a team that really lacked bench power last season.
NBA writer Kirk Goldsberry became the latest, discussing Simons on The Zach Lowe Show.
Anfernee Simons hype train, anybody?
"I think Simons is has the capability of being one of the best bench scorers for a good team in the league," Goldsberry stated. "I just love it."
In addition to Simons praise, he also added that the Dean Wade pickup was a decent addition right before the Sixers sent Paul George packing to join the Boston Celtics. Wade might end up starting for the 76ers, depending on how their LeBron James hunt pans out. Simons, on the other hand, could insert himself in a prime position to fight for Sixth Man of the Year.
The Sixers picked up Simons on a two-year deal in free agency. The second season is a player option. In the first year, Simons will earn $6.0 million. If he picks up the second year, the total increases to $6.3 million, for a total of $12.2 million over two seasons.
That comes off as quite a steal, considering Simons' latest contract was for $100 million over four years. He signed that with the Portland Trail Blazers before the 2022-2023 NBA season.
The state of Anfernee Simons
At 27, Simons is trying to carve out a strong bench role for himself. He was a full-time starter for the Blazers for three seasons. After getting traded to the Boston Celtics, Simons came off the bench for 49 games.
In Boston, Simons averaged 14.2 points while shooting 44.0% from the field and 39.5% from deep. He also averaged 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
In need of center depth before the playoffs, the Celtics used Simons to acquire Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls. Although Simons didn't play much in Chicago due to an injury, he maintained an impressive scoring average in the six games he competed in. Simons left the Bulls with averages of 15.2 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.8 rebounds.
After spending the 2025-2026 NBA season with a lack of punch off the bench--and thin depth at guard--the Sixers certainly seem to have a major upgrade in the ex-Celtic.
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