Any Trade Ideas For PF/C Involving Hauser, Simons And/Or Niang + Picks?

[JBcat]

I don't think any team is giving up a #1 for Simons.

probably not, but part of the value for the Bucks wouldn't just be getting Simons it would be getting off Kuzma who is bad. And if any team was going to it would be a team who currently has no starting level guards.

I?d much rather use this year to audition Simons to see if he can be a part of our core. We all know about his defense. There was a time Pritchard, Hauser, and Kornet were worse on defense. Kornet really transformed himself from his younger days from being a 3 point shooter to an inside presence. Simons will always have some limitations on defense due to his slight frame but our infrastructure might help him improve on that end of the floor. He does things on offense you can?t teach and he won?t have to worry about being the first option or even the 2nd option when Tatum comes back, and he is capable of exploding. Playing more off ball in a movement offense can also help him become more efficient.

[Who]

I don't think any team is giving up a #1 for Simons.

I think you could get a 1st for A Simons but not a 1st that far off into the future. A 2031 1st. But a 1st next year or the year after where the outcome is more predictable, yeah, they can get that.

CJ McCollum got a 1st when Portland traded him to New Orleans. A Simons is a similar level player.

[Roy H.]

I don't think any team is giving up a #1 for Simons.

I think you could get a 1st for A Simons but not a 1st that far off into the future. A 2031 1st. But a 1st next year or the year after where the outcome is more predictable, yeah, they can get that.

CJ McCollum got a 1st when Portland traded him to New Orleans. A Simons is a similar level player.

I think we're seeing a different market.  Simons is similar to Sexton, Poole, McCollum, etc., and those guys aren't bringing much back this summer.

[Who]

I don't think any team is giving up a #1 for Simons.

I think you could get a 1st for A Simons but not a 1st that far off into the future. A 2031 1st. But a 1st next year or the year after where the outcome is more predictable, yeah, they can get that.

CJ McCollum got a 1st when Portland traded him to New Orleans. A Simons is a similar level player.

I think we're seeing a different market.  Simons is similar to Sexton, Poole, McCollum, etc., and those guys aren't bringing much back this summer.

McCollum is older now. He is 34 years old. I think the earlier trade from POR to NOP is more indicative of A Simons' value.

I do agree C Sexton and A Simons are comparable.

I'd put Poole on a lower level than Sexton or Simons.

[Csfan1984]

I don't think any team is giving up a #1 for Simons.

probably not, but part of the value for the Bucks wouldn't just be getting Simons it would be getting off Kuzma who is bad. And if any team was going to it would be a team who currently has no starting level guards.

I?d much rather use this year to audition Simons to see if he can be a part of our core. We all know about his defense. There was a time Pritchard, Hauser, and Kornet were worse on defense. Kornet really transformed himself from his younger days from being a 3 point shooter to an inside presence. Simons will always have some limitations on defense due to his slight frame but our infrastructure might help him improve on that end of the floor. He does things on offense you can?t teach and he won?t have to worry about being the first option or even the 2nd option when Tatum comes back, and he is capable of exploding. Playing more off ball in a movement offense can also help him become more efficient.

+1 on Simmons. Give him a shot. He is athletic enough to be a good defender at the one or two. He just needs to buy into a team and system to be a good fit.

[No Nickname]

I don't think any team is giving up a #1 for Simons.

probably not, but part of the value for the Bucks wouldn't just be getting Simons it would be getting off Kuzma who is bad. And if any team was going to it would be a team who currently has no starting level guards.

I?d much rather use this year to audition Simons to see if he can be a part of our core. We all know about his defense. There was a time Pritchard, Hauser, and Kornet were worse on defense. Kornet really transformed himself from his younger days from being a 3 point shooter to an inside presence. Simons will always have some limitations on defense due to his slight frame but our infrastructure might help him improve on that end of the floor. He does things on offense you can?t teach and he won?t have to worry about being the first option or even the 2nd option when Tatum comes back, and he is capable of exploding. Playing more off ball in a movement offense can also help him become more efficient.

+1 on Simmons. Give him a shot. He is athletic enough to be a good defender at the one or two. He just needs to buy into a team and system to be a good fit.

+2 on Simons.  I get so tired of seeing young, athletic teams like Cleveland and Indiana throw in an 8th or 9th man who is just faster/stronger than the C's backups.

I kept thinking we need an infusion of youth, like the young Reggie Lewis on those latter-year Bird teams.

Simons isn't that young any more, but he's a microwave off the bench that could throw something different at a team when the Cs hit their inevitable stretch of losing a 20-point lead.

[Csfan1984]

True about Simons speed. Holiday and Brown were limited by injuries and weren't getting to the rim last year. White is adequate but not explosive. Tatum may take a year to get explosive ability back. Simons may be a need as a guy who can attack the paint and put pressure on defenses.

[Moranis]

Stewart, Reed, Sasser

for

Simons, Tillman, Walsh

C's drop ~9.5 million this year, but add years.  Pistons drop future salary and get another scorer which they could use.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Stewart, Reed, Sasser

for

Simons, Tillman, Walsh

C's drop ~9.5 million this year, but add years.  Pistons drop future salary and get another scorer which they could use.

I was looking at a similar trade earlier today. I think it depends on what the Pistons think of Ivey. If they like him, then they probably view Ivey in that proposed role instead of Simons. If not, this makes sense.

Not sure it passes the "accentuates our best players" test though. I like Sasser, but I think Stewart and Reed don't fit next to our core guys.

[Moranis]

Stewart, Reed, Sasser

for

Simons, Tillman, Walsh

C's drop ~9.5 million this year, but add years.  Pistons drop future salary and get another scorer which they could use.

I was looking at a similar trade earlier today. I think it depends on what the Pistons think of Ivey. If they like him, then they probably view Ivey in that proposed role instead of Simons. If not, this makes sense.

Not sure it passes the "accentuates our best players" test though. I like Sasser, but I think Stewart and Reed don't fit next to our core guys.

Stewart is a decent passer, good rebounder, and excellent shot blocker.  He doesn't shoot much but did hit 32% from 3, so there are some flashes as being able to extend the floor and maybe with more shots he develops that aspect.  Obviously not a world beater, but would be a massive improvement over any other big on the team and is still young enough you'd expect some improvement.  Reed is a backup who id expect the team to dump at some point to help get under the tax entirely

[paintitgreen]

+2 on Simons.  I get so tired of seeing young, athletic teams like Cleveland and Indiana throw in an 8th or 9th man who is just faster/stronger than the C's backups.

I kept thinking we need an infusion of youth, like the young Reggie Lewis on those latter-year Bird teams.

Simons isn't that young any more, but he's a microwave off the bench that could throw something different at a team when the Cs hit their inevitable stretch of losing a 20-point lead.

What you?re saying about Simons would work if he was properly paid. I?d say Simons is worth $10-12 mil a year. He?s overpaid this year by $15 mil+. If there was a market for him, Portland would?ve traded him sooner. Maybe he has a market at the deadline for a team that doesn?t mind overpaying him for half a season. But you can?t pay $27 million for a 7th/8th man. Guys being overpaid is what kills teams in the new NBA. Simons is a good offensive player, a very bad defensive player by NBA standards, and is paid like a borderline star. He?s not that. The whole picture matters when figuring out what he is as an asset. My ideal scenario would be if Chicago?s management decided to clear out Vucevic and the Cs could swap Simons for that final year, save $6 million and have a center. But Chicago would probably want picks. Wish we had those seconds to give them but so it goes.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

+2 on Simons.  I get so tired of seeing young, athletic teams like Cleveland and Indiana throw in an 8th or 9th man who is just faster/stronger than the C's backups.

I kept thinking we need an infusion of youth, like the young Reggie Lewis on those latter-year Bird teams.

Simons isn't that young any more, but he's a microwave off the bench that could throw something different at a team when the Cs hit their inevitable stretch of losing a 20-point lead.

What you?re saying about Simons would work if he was properly paid. I?d say Simons is worth $10-12 mil a year. He?s overpaid this year by $15 mil+. If there was a market for him, Portland would?ve traded him sooner. Maybe he has a market at the deadline for a team that doesn?t mind overpaying him for half a season. But you can?t pay $27 million for a 7th/8th man. Guys being overpaid is what kills teams in the new NBA. Simons is a good offensive player, a very bad defensive player by NBA standards, and is paid like a borderline star. He?s not that. The whole picture matters when figuring out what he is as an asset. My ideal scenario would be if Chicago?s management decided to clear out Vucevic and the Cs could swap Simons for that final year, save $6 million and have a center. But Chicago would probably want picks. Wish we had those seconds to give them but so it goes.

Help me understand your valuation of what Simons contract should be. What are his comparables? Can you list a few guards coming off their second contract who were 20ppg scorers that got less than the MLE?

I've been trying to figure out what his value might be on the next contract as well. I think it would be heavily dependent on what he does this season.

[Celtics4ever]

What you?re saying about Simons would work if he was properly paid. I?d say Simons is worth $10-12 mil a year. He?s overpaid this year by $15 mil+. If there was a market for him, Portland would?ve traded him sooner. Maybe he has a market at the deadline for a team that doesn?t mind overpaying him for half a season. But you can?t pay $27 million for a 7th/8th man.

I disagree with your assessment.    This has him ranked the 17th best shooting guard in the league.  22.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.6 rpg, 0.5 spg, 43.0% FG%, 38.5% 3P%

https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-ranking-top-30-shooting-guards-2024-25-season/

Stat Muse had him 11th in scoring.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/top-shooting-guards-in-scoring-2025

This website had him the 9th best PG

https://craftednba.com/player-stats


He is not a 7th or 8th best player on a team.    Just coming to our team with Tatum being out his is our 2nd or 3rd best player after Brown.   In some ways he is better than White, not defense and he has better stats than Pritchard He would slide down with a Tatum return.   I know his def rating is poor.   But please enlighten us what are you basing the player rating on?

[paintitgreen]

I disagree with your assessment.    This has him ranked the 17th best shooting guard in the league.  22.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.6 rpg, 0.5 spg, 43.0% FG%, 38.5% 3P%

https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-ranking-top-30-shooting-guards-2024-25-season/

Stat Muse had him 11th in scoring.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/top-shooting-guards-in-scoring-2025

This website had him the 9th best PG

https://craftednba.com/player-stats

He is not a 7th or 8th best player on a team.    Just coming to our team with Tatum being out his is our 2nd or 3rd best player after Brown.   In some ways he is better than White, not defense and he has better stats than Pritchard He would slide down with a Tatum return.   I know his def rating is poor.   But please enlighten us what are you basing the player rating on?

I should clarify the level I put has to do with what I think he brings in approximate value compared to the salary cap, not what he?ll actually get paid. Where he should be in the pecking order of a team if you want to win, not where he will be. Maybe he?ll get more than the MLE if he has a much better season this year than any other season he?s had, especially if he becomes something other than a terrible defender, but based on what he has been in his seven NBA seasons so far, I wouldn?t want the Celtics to be paying him more than $10-12 mil per year.

Simons to me has shown he?s a scorer who is not amazingly efficient and a bottom 10th percentile defender. Most advanced stats - win shares, VORP, BPM, LEBRON-WAR - have him outside the top 100 players in the NBA. In LEBRON-WAR he came in 110th with 2.77 wins added, behind Hauser at 108 with 2.86. His defensive LEBRON rating last year was 549th of 567 players. He has shooting potential but his sub 50% on two points shots suggests some combination of poor rim finishing, poor shot selection and inability to get shots off because of his size. Doesn?t rebound and doesn?t defend.

LEBRON explanation:
https://www.bball-index.com/lebron-introduction/

LEBRON sortable data:
https://www.bball-index.com/lebron-application/

Would I rather have Simons than Hauser at the same salary? Yes for sure. Would I rather have Simons than Hauser if he?s making even $5 mil a year more? No. And I?m not even that high on Hauser (if you could get below the actual tax threshold for the year I?d dump him for a second rounder). Because they?re both bench guys who can and probably will get played off the floor when playoff games start counting.

The team that knows Simons best, Portland, looked at Jrue?s age 34 performance last year and decided they would so much rather have Jrue?s ages 35-37 seasons at about $35 mil a year than 26 year old Simons that they threw in 2 second rounders (whether or not they always intended to snake them back over Medicaid) to get the Celtics to take the deal.

C4e, from your items, yes, hoopshype subjectively ranked Simons as the 17th best shooting guard last summer. Look at the guys around him - how much would you actually want to pay to have Malik Monk (14), Cam Thomas (15), Donte DiVincenzo (16), RJ Barrett (18), Collin Sexton (19) or Klay Thompson (20) on the Cs? 17th at the position is not great. It?s a starter on a bad team or bench guy on a good one. And when you?re already paying 70% of the salary cap to two guys, you can?t be spending $20 million plus on bench guys. Not if you want to win.

Oh and when that list is updated this year, expect Simons to be lower. Ivey (24), Caruso (25), probably Shaedon Sharpe (26, whom Portland valued above Simons) and Norm Powell (30) will likely leapfrog him. In fact, hoopshype did another subjective list a few weeks ago of the top free agents next summer and put Simons at 26th, behind Powell (11), Ivey (18), Sexton (22) and Dyson Daniels (16), who wasn?t even on last year?s top 30 SGs list. So Simons would actually be down to the 21-24 range.

https://hoopshype.com/lists/2026-nba-free-agent-rankings-the-best-players-available-next-year/

Also, craftednba didn?t have Simons as the 9th best PG in the NBA. That link was to a data set in which the default first sorting category is minutes played. What you referenced says only that Simons played the 9th most minutes among players that site classified as point guards. If you go to any of the advanced stats he?ll be in the 20s.

For comps, I don?t know because things are changing and next summer will be different than this summer because more teams will have some level of space. But this year the only guy who was lured to a new team for more than the MLE was Turner and he will be making $2.3 mil less than Simons next year. Alexander-Walker 4 and $61, Finney-Smith 4 and $53, Tre Jones and Tre Mann 3 and $24, D?Angelo Russell 2 and $12, Tyus Jones 1 and $7, Levert 2 and $29.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents

There will be more money available next year but teams - at least smart ones - are becoming more and more reluctant to get stuck on bad contracts and if Simons gets 3-4 years at $25 mil plus without a huge improvement in his defense, he?s going to be a bad contract or at best a guy who keeps putting up raw scoring numbers on bad teams while his poor defense prevents him from helping a team win. That?s not something a smart team pays more than the MLE for.

Like I said my dream scenario would be to flip him for Vucevic.  In addition to the advantages of being a center which Boston needs and a better overall player (albeit older), plus chopping $6.3 mil in salary, Vucevic (btw, 13th in that hoopshype ranking of next year?s free agents) at $21,481,481 fits within the KP trade exception so you get a new $27.6 mil trade exception. Maybe Simons can have a hot start to the year and the Cs can make a trade like that closer to the deadline without having to include any second round picks and have until the 27 deadline to be able to bring in a $25 mil a year starting caliber player. But if they could do it now by throwing in a second round pick I?d do it in a heartbeat.

[tazzmaniac]

I disagree with your assessment.    This has him ranked the 17th best shooting guard in the league.  22.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.6 rpg, 0.5 spg, 43.0% FG%, 38.5% 3P%

https://hoopshype.com/lists/nba-ranking-top-30-shooting-guards-2024-25-season/

Stat Muse had him 11th in scoring.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/top-shooting-guards-in-scoring-2025

This website had him the 9th best PG

https://craftednba.com/player-stats

He is not a 7th or 8th best player on a team.    Just coming to our team with Tatum being out his is our 2nd or 3rd best player after Brown.   In some ways he is better than White, not defense and he has better stats than Pritchard He would slide down with a Tatum return.   I know his def rating is poor.   But please enlighten us what are you basing the player rating on?

I should clarify the level I put has to do with what I think he brings in approximate value compared to the salary cap, not what he?ll actually get paid. Where he should be in the pecking order of a team if you want to win, not where he will be. Maybe he?ll get more than the MLE if he has a much better season this year than any other season he?s had, especially if he becomes something other than a terrible defender, but based on what he has been in his seven NBA seasons so far, I wouldn?t want the Celtics to be paying him more than $10-12 mil per year.

Simons to me has shown he?s a scorer who is not amazingly efficient and a bottom 10th percentile defender. Most advanced stats - win shares, VORP, BPM, LEBRON-WAR - have him outside the top 100 players in the NBA. In LEBRON-WAR he came in 110th with 2.77 wins added, behind Hauser at 108 with 2.86. His defensive LEBRON rating last year was 549th of 567 players. He has shooting potential but his sub 50% on two points shots suggests some combination of poor rim finishing, poor shot selection and inability to get shots off because of his size. Doesn?t rebound and doesn?t defend.

LEBRON explanation:
https://www.bball-index.com/lebron-introduction/

LEBRON sortable data:
https://www.bball-index.com/lebron-application/

Would I rather have Simons than Hauser at the same salary? Yes for sure. Would I rather have Simons than Hauser if he?s making even $5 mil a year more? No. And I?m not even that high on Hauser (if you could get below the actual tax threshold for the year I?d dump him for a second rounder). Because they?re both bench guys who can and probably will get played off the floor when playoff games start counting.

The team that knows Simons best, Portland, looked at Jrue?s age 34 performance last year and decided they would so much rather have Jrue?s ages 35-37 seasons at about $35 mil a year than 26 year old Simons that they threw in 2 second rounders (whether or not they always intended to snake them back over Medicaid) to get the Celtics to take the deal.

C4e, from your items, yes, hoopshype subjectively ranked Simons as the 17th best shooting guard last summer. Look at the guys around him - how much would you actually want to pay to have Malik Monk (14), Cam Thomas (15), Donte DiVincenzo (16), RJ Barrett (18), Collin Sexton (19) or Klay Thompson (20) on the Cs? 17th at the position is not great. It?s a starter on a bad team or bench guy on a good one. And when you?re already paying 70% of the salary cap to two guys, you can?t be spending $20 million plus on bench guys. Not if you want to win.

Oh and when that list is updated this year, expect Simons to be lower. Ivey (24), Caruso (25), probably Shaedon Sharpe (26, whom Portland valued above Simons) and Norm Powell (30) will likely leapfrog him. In fact, hoopshype did another subjective list a few weeks ago of the top free agents next summer and put Simons at 26th, behind Powell (11), Ivey (18), Sexton (22) and Dyson Daniels (16), who wasn?t even on last year?s top 30 SGs list. So Simons would actually be down to the 21-24 range.

https://hoopshype.com/lists/2026-nba-free-agent-rankings-the-best-players-available-next-year/

Also, craftednba didn?t have Simons as the 9th best PG in the NBA. That link was to a data set in which the default first sorting category is minutes played. What you referenced says only that Simons played the 9th most minutes among players that site classified as point guards. If you go to any of the advanced stats he?ll be in the 20s.

For comps, I don?t know because things are changing and next summer will be different than this summer because more teams will have some level of space. But this year the only guy who was lured to a new team for more than the MLE was Turner and he will be making $2.3 mil less than Simons next year. Alexander-Walker 4 and $61, Finney-Smith 4 and $53, Tre Jones and Tre Mann 3 and $24, D?Angelo Russell 2 and $12, Tyus Jones 1 and $7, Levert 2 and $29.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/free-agents

There will be more money available next year but teams - at least smart ones - are becoming more and more reluctant to get stuck on bad contracts and if Simons gets 3-4 years at $25 mil plus without a huge improvement in his defense, he?s going to be a bad contract or at best a guy who keeps putting up raw scoring numbers on bad teams while his poor defense prevents him from helping a team win. That?s not something a smart team pays more than the MLE for.

Like I said my dream scenario would be to flip him for Vucevic.  In addition to the advantages of being a center which Boston needs and a better overall player (albeit older), plus chopping $6.3 mil in salary, Vucevic (btw, 13th in that hoopshype ranking of next year?s free agents) at $21,481,481 fits within the KP trade exception so you get a new $27.6 mil trade exception. Maybe Simons can have a hot start to the year and the Cs can make a trade like that closer to the deadline without having to include any second round picks and have until the 27 deadline to be able to bring in a $25 mil a year starting caliber player. But if they could do it now by throwing in a second round pick I?d do it in a heartbeat.

Good post.  I'd definitely trade Simons for Vucevic except I don't want to hurt our soft tank.  Need to trade Simons soon.  Going to be a lot harder to trade him at the deadline.