Free Agent/Trade/Waiver Thread, 2025-26

[redslastlaugh]

I don't know, I think teams want a first. That's why I think Brad said that theyre not going to give up firsts to get off money, because teams are asking for firsts. I bet Ainge at least asked for our 2031 first unprotected.

The Jazz also have Jaden Springer and KJ Martin whose contracts are about $12 million unguaranteed. So Utah could release those guys get up to $15 in space.

My read is that no team is offering positive value for Simons for various reasons

edit: pertaining UTAH, I went to Spotrcac and simulated the release of Springer/KJ Martin by trading them for a 2nd into BRKs capspace. Without Springer and Martin, SloMo for Ant Simons works in the trade machine and that trade saves Boston $18 million in 2025-26. I think this is probably what Utah offered Brad, but wanted Ant + FRP for Kyle Anderson, and Brad said no. (That's my guess)

I don't think the teams that are interested in Simons want a 1st from the Celtics, they want to send longer term deals to the Celtics and the Celtics only want expiring contracts that Stevens can trade again at the deadline.

The only team that could take Simons and give significant salary cap reduction would be Brooklyn and the Nets are most definitely selling their cap space (for just this year) for 1st round picks.

[Shak_Celts]

I have said it multiple times now, why do you tankers have to try and convince us that we’ll be bad? What does it matter? Let us believe what we want, I don’t care and I’m not trying to convince you opposite of what you think! You don’t feel bad for us and think we’ll be in for a rude awakening, you’re really hoping for something you don’t believe will actually happen! If you believed so much in it, you wouldn’t have to come at us when we didn’t come for you!

Idc what ultimately happens, I’m not going in thinking the worst! He can trade off Simons and Niang and I still believe we’re going to be in the playoffs, barring key injuries! I’m not hurting you by believing this, I don’t care that you don’t believe it! My thoughts and wants never influenced the Celtics in any way, neither have yours. Why go in when we don’t want to subscribe to what you’re pushing?

Enjoy the tank, enjoy us not getting 35 wins, if that’s truly what you want! I’m not mad, I’m not hating on you for wanting that, what you want and what may ultimately happen isn’t going to deter me from cheering for wins and disliking loses. I don’t care that we dropped to the 6th pick for smart, I was happy we won that game. The season will end where it will and I’m going to wait til we get the results before I give up on them!

I’m not saying don’t talk about and revel in the idea we could tank, I’m saying you don’t have to try so hard to convince us! We’re fine, you don’t have to worry about us being disappointed, some of us have been watching sports since childhood, we’ve experienced any and everything!

[Fierce1]

If the Celtics trade Simons for guys like Mann or SloMo, I would agree the Cs would just be a team that wins 30-35 games.

Simons takes the Celtic offense to a higher level.

Not JT level, but higher, like 45-50 wins.

Think of Simons as Kemba Walker 2019-20, before the knee injury.

Some of the Celtic fans talk as if Simons is a scrub.

[Celts17Pride]

If the Celtics trade Simons for guys like Mann or SloMo, I would agree the Cs would just be a team that wins 30-35 games.

Simons takes the Celtic offense to a higher level.

Not JT level, but higher, like 45-50 wins.

Think of Simons as Kemba Walker 2019-20, before the knee injury.

Some of the Celtic fans talk as if Simons is a scrub.

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story. Celtics won't trade for Mann or SloMo because they have longer than 1 year on their contracts.

[playa-hater]

I would trade Simons for the right offer for sure. But the Idea that people are saying Simons "sucks" is laughable. I am sticking with my "let's see what he can do for us going forward" (Trade deadline)

and

He probably won't get anywhere near the contract after this season he wants due to the current CBA. We might be able to sign him for a damn good discount.

[Fierce1]

If the Celtics trade Simons for guys like Mann or SloMo, I would agree the Cs would just be a team that wins 30-35 games.

Simons takes the Celtic offense to a higher level.

Not JT level, but higher, like 45-50 wins.

Think of Simons as Kemba Walker 2019-20, before the knee injury.

Some of the Celtic fans talk as if Simons is a scrub.

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story. Celtics won't trade for Mann or SloMo because they have longer than 1 year on their contracts.

I never said Cs are keeping Simons long term.

What I'm saying is Simons playing until trade deadline is what will most likely happen.

Or trade him for Coby White now.

[Hal14]

If the Celtics trade Simons for guys like Mann or SloMo, I would agree the Cs would just be a team that wins 30-35 games.

Simons takes the Celtic offense to a higher level.

Not JT level, but higher, like 45-50 wins.

Think of Simons as Kemba Walker 2019-20, before the knee injury.

Some of the Celtic fans talk as if Simons is a scrub.

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story.

We don't know that for sure.

[Parliament10]

If the Celtics trade Simons for guys like Mann or SloMo, I would agree the Cs would just be a team that wins 30-35 games.

Simons takes the Celtic offense to a higher level.

Not JT level, but higher, like 45-50 wins.

Think of Simons as Kemba Walker 2019-20, before the knee injury.

Some of the Celtic fans talk as if Simons is a scrub.

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story.

We don't know that for sure.

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

[GoCeltics123]

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story.

We don't know that for sure.

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

I think they'd rather bring him into the season, have him ball out in their system for a few months and trade him for a positive or neutral return than pay picks to dump him or buy him out immediately. Same with Niang.

Brad made it very clear in his presser, they are not paying picks to dump guys, and they can always buy Simons out at the deadline if they can't get a return for him

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

[fallguy]

We don't know that for sure.

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

I think they'd rather bring him into the season, have him ball out in their system for a few months and trade him for a positive or neutral return than pay picks to dump him or buy him out immediately. Same with Niang.

Brad made it very clear in his presser, they are not paying picks to dump guys, and they can always buy Simons out at the deadline if they can't get a return for him

I concede it's possible he makes it to the deadline with us. Although I do think it's unlikely.

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

I can't believe you would not take the Lottery Pick!

[Celts17Pride]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

The Raptors also wanted the Celtics to take RJ Barrett with the 9th pick. Fischer said that on the podcast.

[Larry_Russell]

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story.

We don't know that for sure.

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

I hope to **** you are right here.

I firmly believe the market is INCREDIBLY thin for him though.

Maybe Simons for RJ Barrett?
Simons for Rozier and a pick
Simons for Coby White and Jalen Smith
Simons for Tobias Harris?Or Ivey and Stewart?
SImons to fill in for Haliburton for the year? Jackson and Toppin the return?

[Green89]

I don't recall seeing an introductory press conference for Jrue in Portland or KD in Houston, or Bane in Orlando, or Poole in New Orleans or Lopez with the Clippers, or Jalen Green with the Suns or Powell with the Heat, CJ with the Wizards, etc.

There's been what, like 40+ guys who have changed teams this offseason, I think the only 1 I've seen an introductory press conference for was Luke Kornet.

I guess everyone else besides Luke is getting traded

I also wouldn't assume Simons hasn't been in Boston yet. I know we live in a digital/social media world these days where so much of the private lives for these players/coaches ends up getting out there but not everything these guys do gets out there.

The Celtics social media team has made multiple posts about Simons. One was a "Welcome to Boston" post with his picture about a week ago. And also about a week ago the team's social media made another post, with a highlight video of him with the caption "Anfernee Sizzle".

Brad has also been quoted multiple times now talking about how he likes Simons as a player, what he thinks Simons can bring to the team, etc.

Also, Simons hears the trade rumors. He knows he's in trade rumors. Most guys don't come into their team's facility much during the offseason. They spend their offseasons with friends, family, relaxing, going on vacations, working out back home with their trainer, doing open runs with other NBA players. I believe Simons spends his offseasons in Florida. Why come all the way up here from Florida and meet with our staff, tour the facility and stuff if there's a chance that any day now, it could get announced that you're traded out of town? Seems like a chance that could be a wasted trip.

Maybe he is just chilling back home, working out and waiting for the dust to settle and if it turns out he is staying in Boston, then he'll come up. Or maybe he has already been in Boston meeting with the team, we just don't know about it yet..

You should really do your homework before posting.I'll do it for you here.

-The Rockets franchise put out a "welcome to Houston" video for Durant.
-The Suns have a welcome to Phoenix video posted about Jalen Green
-The Wizards facebook page has a welcome post for CJ McCollum.

Maybe you should do yours

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

So only 1 post each about KD, Green and CJ by their new team, but 3 posts by the C's for Simons. Interesting..

You also seemed to conveniently ignore the part of my post in bold.

The entire offseason, the only posts I have seen anywhere that show a Celtics player in our facilities in Boston are the summer league guys, JB, JT and Queta. That's it. Guess the rest of the team is getting traded

We also saw Niang at the garden for the Suns game but he is is from Massachusetts so that makes sense..he probably spends quite a bit of time every offseason back home in Mass.

It's the offseason. Most spend it back home with friends/family, their trainers and then start trickling back into the facility during the weeks leading up to training camp. Younger players (with like 3 years or less of NBA experience) typically come into the facility sooner than the vets, for offseason workouts. Simons is a vet..I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't step foot in Boston until sometime in September..especially given the trade rumors.

Sometimes you seem to like to argue here just to argue. If you can't realize that we're trying to shop him, for this reason, and the cap implications that many others have pointed out, I don't know what to tell you. You believe what you want to, and ignore the signs. That's your choice. There's also many more news articles saying they're shopping him, but you are referring to is Brad mentioning him. Do you really think he's going to say he's a good player but don't get attached?

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

If this is true, Brad should be fired on the spot..

Read on Twitter

The Raptors also wanted the Celtics to take RJ Barrett with the 9th pick. Fischer said that on the podcast.

Still, you take the Lottery Pick and trade a future First to move Porzingis or Barrett and cut salary that way. This is insane. Lots of good players available at 9 in this Draft. Much more valuable than Simons and of course, they could have stolen Yang from Portland.

[Fierce1]

Really has nothing to do with what kind of a player is Simons. Celtics are not resigning him and he makes $27+ million when they are trying to reduce their bill. End of story.

We don't know that for sure.

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

Cs will have until Aug. 29 to waive and stretch, but that's unlikely as Simons is an expiring.

A buyout will not help as it will only save the Cs some money, but the cap hit will still be the full amount of Simons' salary.

So it will go down the wire at the trade deadline if the Cs are willing to wait.

Also, Celtic ownership said the tax is not the primary objective.

According to reports, Brad said the Cs are not really targeting going under the tax completely.

So maybe just staying under the 2nd apron is good enough.

[Fierce1]

Just for the record, Barrett has 25.8m for 2026, 27.7m in 2027, and 29.6m in 2028.

No way Cs absorbing that contract.

[Parliament10]

We don't know that for sure.

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

Cs will have until Aug. 29 to waive and stretch, but that's unlikely as Simons is an expiring.

A buyout will not help as it will only save the Cs some money, but the cap hit will still be the full amount of Simons' salary.

So it will go down the wire at the trade deadline if the Cs are willing to wait.

Also, Celtic ownership said the tax is not the primary objective.

According to reports, Brad said the Cs are not really targetting going under the tax completely.

So maybe just staying under the 2nd apron is good enough.

If they Waive-and-Stretch him, it's $9.2/yr over 3 years.
Any Buyout would recalculate that.

[Fierce1]

Serious doubt that Simons suits up for the Celtics. What are the other Options?:

Buyout?
Waive-and-Stretch?
Anything else?

Cs will have until Aug. 29 to waive and stretch, but that's unlikely as Simons is an expiring.

A buyout will not help as it will only save the Cs some money, but the cap hit will still be the full amount of Simons' salary.

So it will go down the wire at the trade deadline if the Cs are willing to wait.

Also, Celtic ownership said the tax is not the primary objective.

According to reports, Brad said the Cs are not really targetting going under the tax completely.

So maybe just staying under the 2nd apron is good enough.

If they Waive-and-Stretch him, it's $9.2/yr over 3 years.
Any Buyout would recalculate that.

Yes, 9.2m per year.

But Simons is not like Beal or Dame.

Simons is still peaking and is a very productive player.

Can't be guarded 1 on 1.

He's like Kyrie on offense.

The only negative is he's bad on defense.

I believe the trade deadline is where the Cs will make their final decision on which path to take.

Like Brad said, they will play to win.

But that could change if the Cs are just 20-30 at trade deadline.

Cs might tank if that's the case and Simons will be traded.