Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury in the 2025 playoffs changed everything for the Boston Celtics, and they’re going into next season with an entirely different roster. For starters, the addition of Anfernee Simons gives Boston another efficient shooter, and at least one NBA executive says he could end up leading them in scoring for the 2025-26 campaign.
“I bet you he’s their leading scorer,” the exec told Heavy’s Steve Bulpett. “Even with Jaylen. He’s going to have the ball a lot, and that dude can really score. That offense is going to have to change to accommodate him, and, on the last year of his contract, he’s going to let it fly.”
Simons, 26, is owed $27.7 million this season before becoming a free agent next summer. With Tatum out and the desire to maintain his worth, Simons is going in with nothing held back, and he should have the green light from head coach Joe Mazzulla.
“As the kids say, he’s a bucket,” the executive added. “That dude is a bucket. He can really fill it up. And remember, he was averaging around 20 in the West. What do you think he’s going to do in the Eastern Conference, which is a LOT less competitive? How’s he not going to score and score big?”
Amid Damian Lillard’s brief exit, Simons became a more featured player of the Blazers’ offense. In 70 games last season, he averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 42.6% shooting. While his overall efficiency leaves much to be desired, he’s still considered among the best three-point shooters with an average of 3.1 threes per game on 36.3% shooting in 2025-26. In the 2023-24 season, he put up 22.6 points per game overall while shooting 38.5% from deep.
On the Celtics, Simons can provide a major spark offensively as a floor spacer and perimeter scorer alongside Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. When Jayson Tatum returns, he’ll only make things easier by demanding the attention of opposing defenses.
Still, the climb may be slow for Simons at first. Reports suggest he may initially come off the bench behind Payton Pritchard, who has made a name for himself as an elite defender and selfless team player.
For Simons to take on a bigger role on the Celtics, he’ll have to mature both on and off the court. By dedicating more time to the gym and the practice court, Simons can develop his two-way game and become less of a liability defensively. At the very least, he can hone his skills as a ball handler and playmaker to help fill the void left by Jrue Holiday’s departure.
While expectations for the Celtics are relatively low next season, the conditions are perfect for Simons to have a career year for them. Besides the added motivation of his looming free agency, Simons will be working for an organization of proven winners, which has established a culture of excellence both on and off the court. If he can just learn from the best and stay focused on expanding his game, Simons could take his career to a whole new level and become a permanent staple in the Celtics’ future.
