Anfernee Simons may not be the headline move for the Sixers this offseason, but he could end up being one of the most valuable.
The spotlight has mostly landed on Philadelphia’s new starting five, and for good reason. Still, the bench matters, and Simons gives the Sixers a real chance to change games once the starters sit. That’s why he should have a legitimate shot at Sixth Man of the Year.
At 27, Simons brings exactly the kind of scoring punch teams love from a reserve. He’s a career 38.1% shooter from three on heavy volume, and he’s shown he can catch fire in a hurry. He has hit nine threes in a game five different times, including a 9-for-10 performance against the Indiana Pacers in 2021.
His path to this role has already taken a turn. Simons was a starter for the Portland Trail Blazers from 2022-23 through 2024-25, then moved to the bench with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls last season. That transition matters, because it gives him the kind of experience that can make a reserve role feel familiar instead of jarring.
And if the Sixers are going to get the most out of him, that role has to be embraced. The first player off the bench isn’t just filling minutes - he sets the tone for the second unit, controlling pace and energy when the game shifts. Simons has the shot-making to do exactly that.
Last season off the bench, he averaged 14.3 points per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 38.5% from deep. In Boston, he put up 14.2 points per game and shot 39.5% from beyond the arc alongside Jaylen Brown. Now he could see even more clean looks with Brown, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid around him.
If Philadelphia ends up with a strong record and Simons is hovering around 15 points per game, he’ll be right in the mix for the award.
There’s also a bit of history here. If Simons wins Sixth Man of the Year, he would be the first Sixer to do it since Aaron McKie in 2001.
The key question isn’t just production, though. It’s buy-in.
During his time in Boston, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised Simons for accepting a smaller role, and said he was especially pleased with Simons’ improvement on defense. That part of the job will matter in Philadelphia, too, because staying on the floor and earning trust from Nick Nurse will shape how often he gets those chances to finish games.
Simons has already said he views the switch in the right way. On Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady’s Cousins podcast, he explained it like this: “My mindset going into the game is I’ve already competed at a high level with starters, and it’s just gonna be even easier for me when I come into the game, playing against second units,” he said on Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady’s Cousins podcast.
That confidence helps. So does the fact that he’s spent years proving he can handle bigger responsibilities. He’ll have to earn Nurse’s trust before he’s closing games, but the shooting is going to push him into those moments sooner or later.
The league has seen this role shape careers and championships before. Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford each won Sixth Man of the Year three times, while Manu Ginobili’s 2008 run is probably the cleanest comparison for Simons. Ginobili gave the Spurs a weapon they could unleash whenever the starters needed a breather, and he could impact games with either unit.
Simons may not be a lock for the award yet, but the setup is there. The scoring, the shooting, the role, and the willingness to accept it all point in the same direction. For the Sixers, that sacrifice could be one of the quieter keys to making the whole thing work.
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