The Philadelphia 76ers are continuing to build towards an NBA title. They signed Anfernee Simons to a two-year, $12.3 million contract; the deal includes a player option for the second season.
How We Got Here:
The 76ers had a decent season, finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference. However, they were able to upset their rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the first round of the playoffs. They were able to see Tyrese Maxey take a major step forward and understand what their roster looks like with and without Joel Embiid on the floor
However, the real storyline surrounding the 76ers has been the fact that they are fresh off trading for Jaylen Brown yesterday. However, when it came to the rest of the roster, they still had some holes to fill. They were still lacking bench depth and perimeter shooting.
At 27 years old, Simons is coming off a season in which he started out in Boston before being traded to Chicago. However, across 55 games, he averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He continued to establish himself as one of the league’s premier perimeter shooters.
His Impact:
The fit with Simons and this 76ers roster is perfect. He has shown the ability to handle the ball and also play off-ball. That will come in handy when being deployed alongside Maxey or Brown or when he is asked to man the second unit and be the primary ball handler.
On top of that, his shooting will open up the floor for the rest of the roster. This is because he has been among the NBA’s better high-volume shooters, capable of knocking down difficult pull-up threes as well as catch-and-shoot opportunities. He will be able to come in and provide instant value as a sixth man as the 76ers look to make a deep playoff run.
The 76ers are building something to be reckoned with. It’ll be interesting to see how all of the pieces they have fit together. However, if they are able to make things work, then they will be one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference next season.
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