As the Atlanta Hawks sort out their direction, one name that keeps making quiet sense as a trade target is Celtics guard Anfernee Simons. He is not the headliner who dominates every rumor cycle. Sometimes the best moves are the ones that balance talent, age, and contract without blowing up the asset drawer. When you line up those factors, Simons fits a lot of what the Atlanta Hawks should be looking for in a trade target.
Simons Trade Target: Why Anfernee Simons Fits the Atlanta Hawks
First, the scoring is real. Simons can create off the dribble, pull up from three, and punish defenses that go under ball screens. Atlanta has often leaned heavily on one primary creator. Adding another guard who can bend a defense on his own gives the offense a different gear. The Simons trade target idea starts there. He is a reliable perimeter scorer who keeps the floor spaced and prevents the offense from stalling when the first action dies.
Age is a huge part of the appeal. Simons is still in his mid-20s. That puts him in the sweet spot where he has proven production but still has room to grow. He fits the same general timeline as Jalen Johnson and the rest of the emerging core. You are not betting on a teenager who might need years. You are also not tying yourself to the back half of a veteran’s career. From a long-term planning standpoint, the Simons fit is clean.
His contract also works in Atlanta’s favor. Simons is paid like a high-end starter, not like a supermax franchise cornerstone. That matters. The Hawks can trade for him without surrendering every pick they own. His deal still has value in future constructions if they need to retool again. A mid-tier number like his gives the front office flexibility. It is big enough to matter in trades, but not so big that it dominates every cap decision.
How Simons Would Change Atlanta’s Offense
On the floor, the Simons’ fit depends on how the Hawks see their backcourt evolving. If they keep a lead guard already in place, Simons can operate as a secondary creator who takes pressure off the primary. He can still punish defensive mistakes. Coaches can stagger their minutes so that at least one strong handler is always on the court. In closing lineups, Simons’ ability to shoot off the catch and attack tilted defenses makes him a natural partner next to another star.
If the front office eventually pivots and reshapes the backcourt entirely, the Simons trade target angle still holds up. He can slide into a larger usage role and keep the offense afloat while the rest of the roster develops. He is not a one-for-one replacement for a franchise guard. Even so, he gives you a starting-level scorer with real shooting gravity. In a transition period, that type of player can keep the team competitive and watchable without derailing the long view.
Defense will always be the main concern in any Simons’ fit conversation. He is not a lockdown guard and will need the right structure behind him. Atlanta can lean into size and versatility on the wing and at center to cover some of those weaknesses. The question becomes whether his offense swings enough games to justify committing to that type of build. For a team that has often struggled to generate efficient half-court looks, the answer might be yes.
39 PTS ☘️ 7 3PM ☘️ 34 MIN
Anfernee Simons went on a HEATER vs. Miami! He scored a season-high and posted the fourth highest scoring game off the bench in @celtics history. #GLeagueAlum pic.twitter.com/tIW1xTtrZ3
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 16, 2026
Weighing Cost And Upside
Cost will decide everything. Boston will not give Simons away, and the Hawks cannot afford to drain all their draft capital for a player in this tier. There have already been rumors that Onyeka Okongwu has drawn interest from multiple teams around the league, and Boston happens to be one of them. A report earlier this month even suggested the Hawks are uncertain about Okongwu as their long-term center. If those reports prove true, then a deal for Simons starts to make even more sense.
Simons is on an expiring contract, and Hawks GM Onsi Saleh has been methodically clearing the cap sheet with the likes of Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kennard, newly acquired CJ McCollum, and now potentially Simons’ 27 million dollar expiring deal. If the price lands in a reasonable range, the Simons trade target case is strong. You are getting a young, proven scorer on a flexible contract and a timeline that matches where you want the team to be in the next two or three years.
He may not be the loudest name in the rumor mill, but that is part of the appeal. For a franchise trying to balance the need to win now with the need to build something sustainable, Simons still looks like the kind of move that threads that needle.
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