When the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a deal to bring on the former Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls guard Anfernee Simons, many were shocked by the numbers. In a league that typically sees a boatload of overpays, the 76ers might've gotten a big discount.
Simons could make up to $12.2 million over two years with the Sixers. He'll earn a guaranteed $6 million for the 2026-2027 NBA season, and could opt into a $6.3 million deal for 2027-2028.
Looking at a recent ranking for shooting guards across the league and seeing where Simons ends up, it's hard not to call him a steal.
Simons is still regarded as a top-30 shooting guard
He's low on HoopsHype's list at No. 26, but remember, the Sixers are paying him $6 million to play a bench role. The one player behind him is Washington Wizards guard Tre Jones, who is making $8.6 million on his rookie deal after averaging 12.2 points per game while shooting 35.8% from three last season.
Here's the best one: Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun is ranked just above Simons after averaging 12.0 points and shooting 30.1% from deep. Next season, the Nuggets are forking over $21.5 million to Braun, which lands him in overpay territory for sure.
Time to get excited for Anfernee Simons
The final stretch run for Simons is Portland was impressive from a solo standpoint. The Blazers weren't any good, but Simons averaged 19.9 points while shooting 38.1% from three as a starter. It was necessary to question his true value, as he was playing on a team that struggled to make the playoffs. Low-pressure situations tend to lead to inflated numbers.
But Simons proved to hold real value on a playoff-contending team last season. Playing alongside Jaylen Brown on the Boston Celtics, where he came off the bench for 49 games, Simons was just as impressive with his playing time cut down.
Seeing the court for 24.5 minutes per game, Simons shot 39.5% from three, while putting up 14.2 points per game with the Celtics. Unfortunately, an in-season trade prevented Simons from getting more playoff experience against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The veteran guard was shipped to Chicago for a frontcourt upgrade. Due to an injury, Simons played in just six games with the Bulls. What he showed with the Celtics was enough to convince the Sixers to bring him on to reunite with their blockbuster addition, Jaylen Brown. It might be a prove-it year for Simons, who could prove to be massively underpaid, but the 76ers should certainly feel good about where Simons stands in comparison to his peers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google