Philadelphia is about to get a closer look at the version of Anfernee Simons Portland fans have known for years.
Simons, once the longest-tenured Trail Blazer before being dealt to the Boston Celtics, has now landed with the 76ers on a two-year, $12.3 million deal that includes a player option in the second season. For Blazers fans, the move brings a familiar mix of pride and regret.
They had already watched the writing on the wall as Portland invested in Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, and Simons’ expiring contract made him a natural trade candidate. Even so, it still hurt to see him go.
The end of his Portland run also made clear that the losing had worn on him. By the time he was nearing the finish line with the rebuilding Blazers, Simons had made it obvious he wanted a shot at winning.
That chance was supposed to come in Boston, but the Celtics sent him to the Chicago Bulls at the deadline. Because of the expiring deal, though, he still had the freedom to pick his next stop, and he chose Philadelphia.
It’s a team-friendly contract for a player who has been a 20-point scorer in the prime of his career, but the fit makes sense. In Philadelphia, Simons can slide into a bench role behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and that may be exactly where he does his best work.
Portland fans have long seen him as a combo guard who is better suited to coming off the bench for a contender than trying to carry a starting job. As a starter, he can be stretched thin as a playmaker at point guard and can be exposed defensively at the two.
Off the bench, that same versatility becomes a weapon.
That’s why he’s now arguably one of the best bench players in the league. His shooting gives Philadelphia a clean floor-spacing option around stars who are at their best with the ball in their hands, and he’s shown in Portland that he can also run the offense for stretches when needed.
The 76ers’ depth is getting more attention now, especially with LeBron James making the surprising decision to join the team to close out his final chapter. With that spotlight on Philadelphia, Simons is about to become a much bigger national talking point than he ever was in Rip City.
Blazers fans already know what the rest of the league is about to learn: Simons is willing to sacrifice role and numbers if it helps the team win. He may have put up his stats as the go-to guy in Portland, but his decision to take a bench role in Philadelphia says plenty about the player and the person. That team-first approach is a big reason he was such a fan favorite in Portland, and it’s about to be on display for everyone else.
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For the Blazers, the fit is at least interesting enough to watch closely. Portlands current roster composition may give Sochan a real opening to compete for a regular-season place, which makes this more than just a routine summer addition. He still has to turn the fresh start into something more lasting, and the next step is figuring out whether he can carve out enough space to stick. [Read more 🡒]