Following an NBA Finals win last season, the Boston Celtics have picked up right where they left off, jumping to 19-5, which is tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second-best record in the league.
Led by the All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston is still considered the heavy favorite to go back-to-back, and the recent return of Kristaps Porzingis has only made the Celtics more dangerous.
Now, Boston could be in the mix to bring in another former All-NBA player.
According to BetOnline, the Celtics (+150) are the favorite to land point guard/forward Ben Simmons if the Brooklyn Nets elect to trade or buy him out. The next best odds belong to the Cleveland Cavaliers (+200) and the New York Knicks (+350).
The Celtics are the favorites to land Ben Simmons if the Nets end up trading or buying him out, per @BetOnline_ag.
(h/t @CTabatabaie) pic.twitter.com/TPEsZYN3bn
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 11, 2024
Simmons has become a top candidate for a buyout, with his contract expiring following the 2024-25 season. That is if the Nets can’t find a way to trade the 2018 Rookie of the Year and his $40M salary.
Brooklyn acquired Simmons from the Philadephia 76ers in 2022 in exchange for James Harden, who is no longer on the team. During his time in New York, the former LSU star has been a shell of his old self, averaging career-lows of 5.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 2024. However, Simmons is still a capable playmaker, second on his team in assists with 6.4 per game.
The Celtics likely wouldn’t be able to acquire Simmons via trade without including one of their starters, which seems like something general manager Brad Stevens would not do. This means that Boston would have to sign Simmons if he were bought out, but even that is tricky given the massive contracts they have handed out over the past year.
If Simmons does somehow make his way to Beantown, he would certainly come off the bench and be a dynamic playmaker for a team that leads the NBA in three-pointers by a wide margin, averaging 51.4 per contest.
Passing and defense would likely be Simmons’ primary role for Joe Mazzulla’s squad. He certainly wouldn’t bring a shooting threat to a three-point-heavy Boston team, as Simmons averages 13.9% from distance during his career, if he, in fact, elects to shoot the ball.
Still, Mazzulla would possibly find a way to utilize Simmons in the rotation with his drive-and-kick skills. Mix that in with a plethora of stars and three-point shooters, and that could mean danger for other teams.
