Brad Stevens facing unexpected trade conundrum with Celtics guard

Trade rumblings have floated around Anfernee Simons ever since the Celtics landed him from the Blazers back in June. The noise has been understandable given his big expiring contract ($27.5 million) and Boston’s possible desire to reduce their luxury tax burden. However, no appealing deal came to fruition this summer, and Simons has been a steady part of Boston’s rotation off the bench.

His play was overshadowed by other new faces on Boston’s roster in the first two months of the year but Tuesday’s win over the Jazz capped the best month of the season for the former Blazers guard. He finished with 20 points off the bench for the Celtics in 28 minutes, while also adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Simons was a team-best plus-27 in the 129-119 victory, and that terrific plus/minus mark has not been an isolated incident this month.

In fact, Simons ranks second in plus/minus in the NBA this month, with Boston outscoring opponents by 128 points when he’s on the floor. The team also had its best offensive rating (128 points per 100 possessions) when he was spreading the floor and creating. There were plenty of bright spots across the roster during this stretch, but Simons was a reliable weapon off the bench most nights.

With the Celtics looking more like an East contender after a 9-3 December run and the possibility of Jayson Tatum’s return still looming, Brad Stevens has a fascinating call to make with Simons. He’s one of the few movable big salaries on the roster, and Boston could certainly use more depth at center for now and the future. Simons’ contact (attached with assets) could help them land that player. Simply moving Simons to reduce payroll and a pricey repeater tax bill is an option as well if Boston doesn’t view itself as a true contender this year.

However, subtracting from this team purely for financial reasons is becoming a tougher sell with the team’s surprise success during these first two months. Simons has played every game this year, and the team is thriving numerous nights with him on the floor as a potent scoring weapon off the bench.

He’s not going to garner much value in a trade straight up due to his salary, but moving him for a downgrade to the roster is a tougher sell after nights like Tuesday’s win over the Jazz. He’s becoming a better fit next to the Celtics guards in late game situations, and the on-floor chemistry with this group is growing.

Stevens still has another few weeks to decide. Ultimately, Boston may be able to thread the needle and find a big man where moving Simons becomes necessary. However, the longer this group plays this well with Simons on the floor, the more intriguing the decision will get for Boston’s brass.