The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into next season with higher expectations than any team in the league. They have all the talent in the world, and anything short of a championship would be a disappointment. But what if they need to make a move by the deadline? What if they need to shake things up? That could put a guy like Anfernee Simons in danger.
The Sixers signed Simons to a two-year, $12.3 million contract this summer. He’s slated to be one of the first guys they bring off the bench, providing the 76ers with a solid scoring punch off the pine. But unfortunately, he’s also one of their most tradable assets because of his salary. And that could place him firmly in trade talks at the deadline.
Simons was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline last season, and this upcoming year, he could find his name in trade talks all over again.
Anfernee Simons' salary makes him the most obvious 76ers trade candidate
There’s no questioning Simons’ scoring talent. He’s an elite three-point shooter who can create for himself a bit, too. His defense isn’t ideal, but that’s not why teams are signing him.
Teams know what they are getting from Simons at this point, and it’s his buckets. The problem is, do the 76ers really need buckets with the current roster they have?
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid are going to dominate the scoring column. Simons will come off the bench, but Philly is inevitably going to stagger its starters.
And considering the Sixers don’t have a ton of tradable contracts, that could put Simons in danger. He’ll make $6 million this season. That money could really help make something happen on the trade market.
The only other guy who could make sense to trade would be Dean Wade and his $9 million, but his defense and positional fit are more important than what Simons brings to the table.
What if the 76ers need more center depth behind Embiid because he deals with injury issues? What if they need more perimeter defense because that looks shaky right now?
There are a few things that the 76ers could look to improve upon via the trade market by the deadline this season, and Simons’ contract may be their best way of making something like that happen.
It’s not his fault, and the season hasn’t even begun, but Simons may already, by default, be a trade candidate.
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