The Philadelphia 76ers are continuing to make moves in the offseason as they build up a roster strong enough to contend in the East. After swinging the blockbuster deal for Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, the Sixers have now reportedly agreed to a 2-year $12.3 million deal with Anfernee Simons to add a microwave scorer to the bench unit.
Playing for the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls in the 2025-26 season, Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 44% from the floor and 38.5% from deep. He is a player who can put up points in bunches and should be able to give this bench unit a lift in Philadelphia.
In an effort to get to know Simons, here is a look at what he brings to the table:
Simons’ profile and career thus far
The No. 24 pick in the 2018 NBA draft of the Portland Trail Blazers, Simons has put together a solid 8-year career in the league. He has averaged over 20 points a game twice and has averaged 14.9 points for his career. He took the scoring mantle for the Blazers as they transitioned out of the Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum era and he then took that to the Celtics before he was moved to the Bulls at the deadline for Nikola Vucevic. He has produced every season of his career and should be able to thrive under coach Nick Nurse in Philadelphia.
Simons on offense
As mentioned above, Simons is a microwave scorer. He can put up points in the blink of an eye and can throw a team on his back if needed. He is a terrific 3-point shooter at 38.1% from deep on 6.6 attempts for his career and uses his shot to set up his drives. Once defenders have to find ways to slow him down from the perimeter, then Simons finds ways to lull defenders to sleep before hitting them with a lightning-quick dribble move to the basket and finding ways to create separation, whether that’s off drives to the basket or on the perimeter with a step-back move. If the Sixers ever want to employ a Simons-Tyrese Maxey-VJ Edgecombe lineup, they’ll be incredibly tough to stop.
For more on Simons, the following video thread on Twitter should explain a lot:
It is time! Time for an Anfernee Simons video thread as he joins the #Sixers.
Starting with his ability to knock down 3s from long range. Here, he steps in, sees a sliver of daylight, and just drills it from near the logo. That type of quick trigger will benefit the bench unit. pic.twitter.com/VIEmwxIxMB
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) July 2, 2026
Simons on defense
On this end, it can be an adventure at times. Listed at just 6-foot-3, Simons can be exploited at times on this end, but he does fight hard on defense and does his best to deter his opponents and force them into some tough looks. He still has the ability to come up with steals and get out in transition, which is where he is most dangerous due to his speed and quickness in the open court. He will have a tough time against bigger and physical guards, but Simons can hold his own on this end.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Get to know Sixers addition Anfernee Simons following free agency deal
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