TACTICAL BREAKDOWN: WHY ANFERNEE SIMONS IS THE KEY TO BOSTON’S FRONTCOURT UPGRADE PLANS
Despite Tatum's injury, the 18–11 Celtics are contenders. Discover why Anfernee Simons has become their ultimate trade deadline chip.
Anfernee Simons is vital to what the Boston Celtics plan to do before the trade deadline.
The Boston Celtics didn't see this coming.
After Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury, everyone thought this season would just be a transition year. But they've become real contenders in the Eastern Conference. They were 18–11 as of Wednesday, which puts them third in the East. Now, the front office has to rethink whether they should be aggressive when the NBA trade deadline hits on Feb. 5.
Simons is key to the Celtics' trade plans as the deadline approaches. He was Boston’s big offseason pickup and their most valuable trade piece.
NBA insider Jake Fischer says the Celtics might actually keep Simons past the deadline. This is a big change since they initially saw him as mostly a way to match salaries in trades.
Fischer wrote, The Celtics could keep it simple and look for deals that get rid of the guard’s $27.6 million salary. This would help them avoid the luxury tax while Tatum is out. He added, But Boston is doing way better than expected. Let's say the Celtics use Simons to get a good frontcourt player. Then they might challenge teams in the East, even if Tatum is out all season.
Fischer also mentioned, I've heard from sources that Boston might just decide to keep Simons. They are okay with paying some luxury tax this season after saving a lot of money in the offseason by getting rid of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis.
Simons is doing well in Boston, but nothing too crazy.
In 29 games with Boston, Simons is scoring 13.0 points, with 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds. He's giving them some outside shooting and spacing in Coach Joe Mazzulla’s offence that relies a lot on three-pointers.
Simons usually shoots 38 per cent from three-point range and scores 14.9 points per game. Now, he's playing a role where he supports the main guys, instead of being the star like he was in Portland. He's playing consistently, but he's not a game-changer, so he's still part of trade talks.
His contract makes him pretty valuable. It's a $27.7 million deal that ends this year. This gives Boston options: they can improve the team or cut costs if they need to.
The Celtics have looked into Simon's trades before.
Back in November, Michael Scotto from HoopsHype said Boston checked out some trades involving Simons soon after they got him. They even talked to the Brooklyn Nets.
Scotto wrote that Boston and Brooklyn talked about a few trades that didn't work out before the season started. These talks happened while the Celtics were dealing with the league’s restrictions and changing the team.
It wasn't just about Simons. Scotto also mentioned that Boston wanted Nets centre Day’Ron Sharpe to help the frontcourt. Even though Boston could only offer a minimum contract at the time, they thought Sharpe could compete for a starting spot.
Sharpe is putting up 7.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 16.3 minutes. Boston was interested because they needed help inside.
They still need frontcourt help.
The Celtics have been counting on Neemias Queta, who averages 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. But they don't have another consistent inside player who can defend well and grab rebounds.
That's why Simons is still up for trade if the right offer comes along.
Fischer wrote, I think if Boston could trade Simons for a better player and lower their tax bill, or avoid the tax altogether, Brad Stevens would do it in a heartbeat.
The luxury tax is still a worry, but not as much.
Boston is about $12 million over the luxury tax. But, according to Scotto, the Celtics don't have to cut salary unless a good deal comes up.
They already saved money by trading Holiday and Porziņģis. Plus, the owners are willing to pay some tax if the team stays competitive.
The Celtics don't want to give up draft picks just to trade Simons’ contract, which makes it harder to save money.
Optionality defines the deadline.
Boston is in a good spot because it's doing better than expected.
They're not just trying to save money or get assets. They can choose to stay put, get better, or make small changes.
Simons represents that choice.
Whether Boston keeps him, trades him for a frontcourt player, or uses him to tweak the roster will show how far this season can go. It will also show how the Celtics balance winning now with planning for the future.
Right now, the Celtics aren't selling.
They're figuring things out.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
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