The Milwaukee Bucks are making phone calls on every single name across the NBA, and one player rumored to be on their radar is Anfernee Simons. Though not a flashy name like Michael Porter Jr. or Anthony Davis, Simons has been somewhat of an interesting target from the beginning, but he's now started to catch even more attention with his red-hot play lately.
Anfernee Simons has caught fire for the Celtics
Over his last seven games, Simons is averaging 15.3 points and 3.6 assists, which are solid numbers, but it's his perimeter shooting that has stood out. In that span, he's shooting a blistering 54.2 percent from downtown on 6.9 attempts per matchup. His 26 long-distance makes are the third-most in the entire NBA during this span. He's lighting it up from long range.
Obviously, 3-point shooting is highly coveted in Milwaukee. For years, the Bucks have tried to put as much floor spacing around Giannis Antetokounmpo as possible. Simons would be a seamless fit in this system, especially with all of the wide-open looks he'd get playing alongside Giannis, who always draws so much attention from opposing defenses, leaving shooters often open.
Simons could also be incredibly useful in giving the Milwaukee Bucks a spark off the bench. One of the Bucks' many issues lately has been their lack of reliable bench scoring. Over their last 10 games, Milwaukee ranks 25th in bench scoring. They are living and dying by their starters, and that isn't the recipe for success. A guard like Simons could be an immediate bucket-getter for this team.
Although Simons has desirable qualities, it's unlikely that he will make his way to Milwaukee despite the rumored interest. The Celtics are performing far better than most expected this season, so they may want to keep their roster intact unless they land a legitimate upgrade as Jayson Tatum's season debut looms. The idea of trading Simons for cost-cutting purposes has slowly faded.
That ultimately might not be the worst thing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Simons could help, but he's not the type of player who can turn the team around. What Milwaukee needs is a stout forward who could bring scoring, rebounding, and size. A 6-foot-3 two guard isn't doing all of those things consistently. Yet, if there were ever a time to justify trading for him, it would be during this hot stretch of games.
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