1 New Contract That Already Looks Like a Steal for 76ers

One particular player has been outplaying his contract early in the season for Philadelphia.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Anfernee Simons (5) controls the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia 76ers signed several fresh faces to new contracts in the offseason. So far, several of those additions have already paid dividends for Philadelphia early in the 2026-27 NBA season.

However, one contract in particular is shaping up to be a bargain for the Sixers. We already knew the two-year, $8 million contract that star forward LeBron James signed with the team would be money well spent, but the two-year, $12 million deal the team signed veteran guard Anfernee Simons to also looks like a steal.

Anfernee Simons has been outplaying his contract with the 76ers early this season

Through six games so far this season, Simons has been, without a doubt, the most impactful and important non-starter on Philadelphia's entire roster. He has single-handedly swung several games in Philadelphia's favor with his ability to come in off the bench and provide a much-needed scoring spark. His ability to space the floor also makes him a good fit alongside guys who command a ton of attention from opposing defenses like James, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey.

On the season so far, Simons is averaging 12.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game for Philly. He's also been knocking down an average of three shots from long range per game, which leads the entire team. He's also leading the Sixers by converting 43.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc on the current campaign.

Over the 76ers' last three games, specifically, Simons has really demonstrated his value. Against the Indiana Pacers last week, Simons connected on six triples and scored 20 points to help the Sixers pull out a win. He finished with a team-high +14. In his follow-up performance, he made five 3-pointers and tallied 21 points in Philadelphia's NBA Cup win over the New York Knicks.

Most recently, he dropped five more 3-pointers and scored 19 points against the Charlotte Hornets on Halloween night. The Sixers won all three games, and it's genuinely fair to question whether they would have won any of them without Simons' contributions. That's how impactful he's been lately. Keep in mind, this is the sixth-highest-paid player on the team having this type of impact.

The 76ers have a ton of money tied up in top-tier stars, with three guys (Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey) making over $40 million this season. Given the salary cap constraints these hefty contracts produce, it was imperative for the team to identify some undervalued assets who could come in and contribute at a high level. They did exactly that with Simons.

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