Anfernee Simons

Last updated

Anfernee Simons
AnferneeSimons (cropped).jpg
Simons with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019
No. 2–Chicago Bulls
Position Shooting guard / point guard
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1999-06-08) June 8, 1999 (age 26)
Longwood, Florida, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school
NBA draft 2018: 1st round, 24th overall pick
Drafted by Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career2018–present
Career history
2018–2025 Portland Trail Blazers
2019 →Agua Caliente Clippers
2025–2026 Boston Celtics
2026–present Chicago Bulls
Career highlights
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Anfernee Tyrik Simons ( /ˈænfərni/ AN-fər-nee; [1] born June 8, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After high school, he played basketball during a postgraduate year at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, before being selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft with the 24th overall pick. Simons was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2025 and to the Bulls in 2026.

Contents

Early life

Simons first attended Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida, where he averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1 steal per game in 30 games as a sophomore. [2] After growing up young for his grade level and playing with older students, Simons reclassified to enter college with the class of 2018, providing him an extra year to develop. [3] [4] During his junior year, Simons transferred to Montverde Academy in Montverde, but after being a bench player, returned to Edgewater. [4] He graduated high school in 2017, [5] [6] averaging 23.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 20 games played in his last year at Edgewater. [2] Simons then attended the IMG Academy in Bradenton for a postgraduate year, although he had previously expressed interest in spending that year at the West Oaks Academy in Orlando instead. [7] Simons averaged 22.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists on IMG's postgraduate team. [8] [9] During the summer of 2017, he also played for the United States men's national under-19 basketball team. [10]

Simons was rated as a five-star recruit and was ranked as the seventh-best player in the 2018 class by 247Sports.com. [11] Originally, he planned to enter the University of Louisville, [12] but due to the school's basketball sex scandal of 2015 and involvement in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball corruption scandal, Simons decommitted from Louisville, saying that he was most interested in the University of South Carolina, North Carolina State University, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Florida. [13] In January 2018, Simons then said that he was "most likely" going to bypass college and enter the 2018 NBA draft, albeit without hiring an agent. [14] Two months later, he confirmed his decision, [15] and later removed his name from the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic. [16] On March 20, 2018, ESPN ranked Simons as the 19th-best prospect in the draft. [17] He was later named one of the 69 players invited to the 2018 NBA Draft Combine that year.[ citation needed ]

College recruiting information (2018)
NameHometownSchoolHeightWeightCommit date
Anfernee Simons
SG 		Altamonte, FL IMG Academy (FL)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)181 lb (82 kg)Nov 12, 2016 
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  5 stars.svg     247Sports:  5 stars.svg     ESPN:  5 stars.svg    (94)
Overall recruit ranking:    Rivals: 10    247Sports: 10    ESPN: 9
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Louisville 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  • "2018 Louisville Cardinals Recruiting Class". ESPN. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved August 25, 2018.

Professional career

Portland Trail Blazers (2018–2025)

Simons was selected 24th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2018 NBA draft. [18] He would be the third high school player since 2015 to be drafted in the NBA, behind Thon Maker and Satnam Singh Bhamara. On July 2, 2018, the Trail Blazers announced that they had signed Simons. [19]

On January 21, 2019, the Blazers assigned Simons to the Agua Caliente Clippers for an NBA G League assignment. [20]

On April 10, 2019, Simons had his first career start against the Sacramento Kings while the Trail Blazers rested Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum for the final game of the regular season. Simons put up career highs across the board with 37 points, six rebounds, and nine assists, becoming the first Trail Blazers rookie to score 30-plus points since Lillard.

In the championship round of the Slam Dunk Contest during halftime of the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Simons attempted to kiss the rim, but failed and still completed the dunk. Despite his failed attempt, Simons was named the 2021 Slam Dunk Champion on a 3–2 decision. [21]

On January 3, 2022, Simons scored a then career-high 43 points behind nine three-pointers, along with seven assists, in a 136–131 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. In a postgame interview, he dedicated the game to his grandfather who died of cancer the previous night. [22] On March 28, Simons was ruled out for the remainder of the season with patellar tendinopathy in his left knee. [23]

On July 6, 2022, Simons re-signed with the Trail Blazers on a four-year, $100 million contract. [24] [25] On October 21, Simons hit a game-winning floater in a 113–111 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns. [26] On December 3, Simons scored a career-high 45 points in a 116–111 win over the Utah Jazz. [27] On February 3, 2023, Simons scored 33 points in a 124–116 comeback win over the Washington Wizards. [28]

On October 25, 2023, Simons suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb against the Los Angeles Clippers, ruling him out for four to six weeks. [29]

On December 19, 2024, Simons had a double-double and hit the game-winning buzzer-beater against the Denver Nuggets. [30]

Boston Celtics (2025–2026)

On July 7, 2025, Simons was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Jrue Holiday. [31]

Chicago Bulls (2026–present)

On February 5, 2026, Simons and a 2026 second-round pick were traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vučević and a 2027 second-round pick. [32]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2018–19 Portland 2017.0.444.345.563.7.7.1.03.8
2019–20 Portland 70420.7.399.332.8262.21.4.4.18.3
2020–21 Portland 64017.3.419.426.8072.21.4.3.17.8
2021–22 Portland 573029.5.443.405.8882.63.9.5.117.3
2022–23 Portland 626235.0.447.377.8942.64.1.7.221.1
2023–24 Portland 464634.4.430.385.9163.65.5.5.122.6
2024–25 Portland 707032.7.426.363.9022.74.8.9.119.3
2025–26 Boston 49024.5.440.395.8892.42.4.6.114.2
Career43821326.5.432.382.8812.53.2.5.114.9

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2019 Portland 502.4.000.000.800.0.0.2.0.8
2020 Portland 4020.5.305.429.8332.82.51.5.06.8
2021 Portland 6017.8.560.611.0002.7.8.3.26.5
Career15013.4.379.500.8181.81.0.6.14.7

Personal life

Simons was given the name Anfernee due to his parents, Charles and Tameka, being fans of the Orlando Magic and naming him after former player Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. [33] [34] Hardaway coached Simons during a Team USA Basketball training camp. [17]

References

  1. ↑ "2023-24 start of season NBA pronunciation guide" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 24, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Anfernee Simons' High School Basketball Stats". MaxPreps.com.
  3. ↑ Collings, Buddy (November 5, 2015). "A lot on horizon as regular season closes". The Orlando Sentinel. p. C5. Retrieved June 26, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Collings, Buddy (July 5, 2016). "Anfernee Simons back to Edgewater with bigger game". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ Maese, Rick (June 20, 2018). "'Schools can't offer that': How NBA draft's biggest mystery spent his year skipping colleg". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2025. Last summer, not long after Simons had graduated from Orlando's Edgewater High, he visited IMG's campus in Bradenton, Fla., undergoing a three-week evaluation before enrolling in a postgraduate year.
  6. ↑ Feldman, Dan (March 22, 2018). "Anfernee Simons declares for NBA draft straight out of high school (kind of)". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 26, 2025. But because he did so as a fifth-year prep after technically graduating from high school last year and turns 19 in June, he's eligible for the NBA draft.
  7. ↑ Collings, Buddy (June 30, 2018). "Former Edgewater star Anfernee Simons headed to IMG Academy". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Five Things to Know: ANFERNEE SIMONS". USA Basketball. March 15, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ Klein, Jordana (March 26, 2018). "IMG ACADEMY POST-GRADUATE BASKETBALL'S ANFERNEE SIMONS HIGHLIGHTED IN HEAVY'S ARTICLE". IMG Academy. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Duke-bound Cam Reddish and his crazy summer | Mike Jensen". philly.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Westtown star Cameron Reddish ascends to No. 1 in recruiting service's rankings". PennLive.com. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ Wells, Adam (September 28, 2017). "Anfernee Simons, Courtney Ramey Decommit from Louisville Amid Scandal". Bleacher Report . Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Anfernee Simons to consider NBA Draft, but likely headed to college".
  14. ↑ Woo, Jeremy (January 17, 2018). "Anfernee Simons's big draft decision is imminent". si.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  15. ↑ Givony, Johnathan (March 22, 2018). "Simons declares for NBA draft, forgoes college". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Anfernee Simons withdraws his name from Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic". Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Roberts, Ben (March 22, 2018). "One of the top basketball recruits in the country is jumping straight to the NBA" . Lexington Herald-Leader.
  18. ↑ Holdahl, Casey (June 21, 2018). "Trail Blazers Select Anfernee Simons in First Round of NBA Draft". NBA.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  19. ↑ Gauruder, Dana (July 2, 2018). "Trail Blazers Sign First-Rounder Anfernee Simons". hoopsrumors.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Portland Trail Blazers Assign Anfernee Simons and Gary Trent Jr to G-League". FanSided . January 20, 2019. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons wins 2021 AT&T Slam Dunk". NBA.com .
  22. ↑ "Anfernee Simons helps Blazers overcome Trae Young's 56 points with 43-point outburst after grandfather's death".
  23. ↑ "TRAIL BLAZERS INJURY UPDATES". NBA.com. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Trail Blazers Re-Sign Jusuf Nurkic And Anfernee Simons". NBA.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  25. ↑ Bontemps, Tim (June 30, 2022). "Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons agrees to 4-year, $100 million deal, agent says". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  26. ↑ Fentress, Aaron (October 21, 2022). "Anfernee Simons scores game-winner for Trail Blazers in 113–111 win over the Phoenix Suns: At the buzzer". oregonlive.com. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  27. ↑ Coles, Matthew (December 3, 2022). "Simons' career-best 45 points carries Portland past Utah". Associated Press. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  28. ↑ Trister, Noah (February 4, 2023). "Blazers rally from 20 down to end Wizards' win streak". ABC News. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons needs thumb surgery". ESPN.com. October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
  30. ↑ Bhatia, Swati (December 20, 2024). "NBA Top 10: Anfernee Simons' game winning buzzer-beater steals the show". The Playoffs. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Celtics Complete Trades with Portland and Atlanta | Boston Celtics". celtics.com. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  32. ↑ "CHICAGO BULLS ACQUIRE ANFERNEE SIMONS AND SECOND-ROUND PICK". NBA.com. February 5, 2026. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  33. ↑ Adams, Jonathan (March 22, 2018). "Anfernee Simons Is the NBA Draft's Man of Mystery". Heavy.com.
  34. ↑ King, Jason (March 24, 2018). "HS Star Anfernee Simons Decides CBB Isn't for Him, but Is He Ready for the NBA?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
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