The big additions for the Philadelphia 76ers are obvious. Everybody has their eyes set on the additions of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, and for good reason! Those two are set to really change things around this franchise as everybody moves forward and Philadelphia looks to contend for a championship.
However, depth is so key in today's NBA, and President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey made sure he found some in the 2026 offseason.
One under the radar addition is Anfernee Simons who brings much-needed scoring and ball-handling to this team's bench unit. When one watched the second unit have its struggles in the 2026 playoffs, it was important for the front office to add to that area.
The 8-year veteran has career averages of 14.9 points
and 3.2 assists while shooting 38.1% from deep while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls. With the Sixers now moving forward, Simons is somebody who will fill a number of needs for Philadelphia on the offensive end. There were too many times when Philadelphia had to rely so heavily on its bench unit to move the scoreboard in the postseason, and now, coach Nick Nurse and his staff can turn to Simons, put the ball in his hands, and let him create.
A big part of Simons' game is his ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. Per NBA Stats, he took 1.1 3-pointers per game when taking 7-plus dribbles and he shot 39% on those opportunities. The explosive guard can break down defenses as he shot 47.1% on pull-up 2-pointers. It shows his ability to break down defenders off the dribble and knock down tough shots whether those are pull ups or getting to the basket.
Per Cleaning the Glass, Simons had an efficiency field goal percentage of 55.7% (76th percentile) in his 49 games with the Celtics in 2025-26. The shifty guard just knows how to put the ball in the basket and the Sixers will be bringing him off the bench in an effort to give this team a spark and the offensive production they will need from the second unit. Simons will be one of the more important additions to this group and it will be proven throughout the season when it comes to Nurse turns to that unit to get his starters some rest.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Examining the importance of Anfernee Simons addition for Sixers
