Free agent guard Anfernee Simons will sign a two-year, $12.3MM contract with the Sixers, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The second season will be a player option, Charania adds.
Philadelphia is expected to use the remaining portion of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception to add Simons after committing part of the MLE in its agreement with Dean Wade on Tuesday. Ariel Hukporti figures to be signed with the bi-annual exception, leaving the team about $3.4MM below its first apron hard cap with 14 players under contract, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
Marc Stein of The Stein Line confirms that Simons has reached a verbal agreement with the Sixers (Twitter link), stating that they offered more money than the Warriors and Heat. The Mavericks expressed interest as well, Stein adds, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link) adds the Nuggets and Pacers to that list.
Sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Golden State made a minimum offer as it waits to hear from LeBron James, and Simons wasn’t willing to accept anything less than $6MM per year (Twitter link). Miami had the ability to make the same offer as Philadelphia while staying below its first-apron hard cap but was also interested in a minimum deal, per Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
The 27-year-old shooting guard spent most of last season in a reserve role with the Celtics, providing instant offense with the second unit. He moved into a starting role after being shipped to Chicago at the trade deadline, but only appeared in six games before aggravating a left ulnar styloid fracture in his left wrist. For the season, Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 55 games with .440/.385/.896 shooting numbers.
Simons was selected by the Trail Blazers with the 24th pick in the 2018 draft. He turned in several productive seasons with Portland before being sent to Boston last summer as part of the Jrue Holiday trade, including averaging a career-high 22.6 PPG in 2023/24.
He now joins a revamped team in Philadelphia that could be in title contention after reaching an agreement to acquire Jaylen Brown from the Celtics on Wednesday. Simons will likely return to a bench role with the Sixers, playing behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a high-scoring backcourt that will also feature first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr.
