Celtics Would Send $100 Million Guard to Rival, Land Star Center in Blockbuster 3-Team Trade Idea

The Boston Celtics have been no strangers to pulling off wild trades throughout the 2025 offseason.

After six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum went down with an Achilles tendon tear during the second round of the playoffs this spring, it became clear that Boston's chances of defending its 2024 title — and probably, realistically, of winning in 2026, too — dwindled to nada.

Celtics general manager Brad Stevens clearly had (at least an unofficial) mandate this summer to dip under the league's punitive second luxury tax apron. He offloaded the contract of 35-year-old six-time All-Defensive Team guard Jrue Holiday in exchange for 26-year-old Anfernee Simons, who's on an expiring deal, and flipped center Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks for forward Georges Niang and a second-round pick.

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Stevens also let Luke Kornet depart for the San Antonio Spurs in free agency, and appears poised to do the same with Al Horford.

Could Simons be on the move before he even has his introductory press conference as a Celtic?

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report proposes a new three-team deal with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz that could see Boston ditch Simons while addressing its recent center drain.

Latest @BleacherReport 3-Team Blockbuster Trade Idea to Spark Boston Celtics' $100 Million Pivot - featuring the Utah Jazz & Miami Heathttps://t.co/6fJcFN65E0
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) August 1, 2025

Celtics Receive: Center Walker Kessler (from Jazz), $27.7 million trade exception (Anfernee Simons)

Jazz Receive: Point guard Terry Rozier (from Heat), small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (from Heat), center Neemias Queta (from Celtics), 2026 lottery-protected first-rounder (from Celtics), 2026 second-rounder (from Celtics), 2029 top 5-protected first-round swap (from Heat), $5.5 million in cash considerations (from Celtics), $4.9 million trade exception (for Walker Kessler)

Heat get: Guard Anfernee Simons (from Celtics), Draft Rights to No. 53 John Tonje (from Jazz), $3.9 million trade exception (Jaime Jaquez)

Kessler is a cheap rim protector with upside who's still on his rookie-scale deal, so bringing him in would require significant draft equity from Boston, as outlined by Pincus.

Why Miami would want to bring in a ball-dominant combo guard like Simons when it already traded for ex-L.A. Clippers guard Norm Powell this summer and still has All-Star shooting guard Tyler Herro is perhaps the big question that could throw a wrench in this deal.

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