Anfernee Simons Joins Philadelphia 76ers to Add More Shooting Power for the New Season

the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t just trying to compete this year; they are pushing all their chips to the center of the table. In a move that perfectly highlights this win-now mentality, the team just scooped up free-agent guard Anfernee Simons.

Fixing a Frustrating Weakness

If you watched the Sixers last season, you know exactly what their biggest headache was: the bench. When the primary stars needed a breather, the offense frequently stalled out. They desperately needed someone who could create their own shot, push the pace, and keep the scoreboard ticking while the starters rested.

Enter Anfernee Simons.

Over his eight years in the league, Simons has proven time and again that he is a walking bucket. He’s a career 38.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and that kind of elite outside shooting is exactly what this roster was missing.

Think about the natural spacing this creates. Having a legitimate sniper on the perimeter means opposing defenses can’t easily crowd Tyrese Maxey on his drives, and it makes double-teaming Joel Embiid in the paint a much riskier gamble. Simply put, Simons is going to make life a lot easier for everyone else on the floor.

Bouncing Back from a Chaotic Year

It hasn’t been the easiest stretch for the 27-year-old guard, and his road to Philadelphia has been a bit of a rollercoaster.

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After spending his first seven years growing into a high-level scorer with the Portland Trail Blazers, Simons was shipped to the Boston Celtics last July. He actually looked great in a sixth-man role there, putting up 14.2 points a night and shooting nearly 40 percent from deep across 49 games.

But the NBA is a business, and at the February trade deadline, he was packed up again—this time heading to the Chicago Bulls. Sadly, a nasty left wrist injury derailed his time in Chicago almost immediately, limiting him to just six games before shutting him down for the remainder of the year.

The good news? He is completely healthy now. More importantly, he is coming into training camp with a massive chip on his shoulder. Simons is highly motivated to remind the league exactly how dangerous he can be when he’s fully healed and dialed in.

The Front Office is Putting in the Work

You really have to hand it to Philadelphia’s front office—they are doing everything in their power to build a well-rounded contender.

Management was incredibly savvy with their checkbook here, using the very last bit of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to get Simons on board. This happened just a few days after they used the first chunk of that same exception to grab a solid rotational forward in Dean Wade.

While superstars always grab the headlines, championships are almost always won by the guys rounding out the rotation. Having reliable shooting and a bench that doesn’t collapse under pressure is what actually gets you through a grueling playoff run.