Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The acquisitions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown have dominated the conversation around the Sixers, but the addition of sharpshooter Anfernee Simons should not be overlooked.
Simons, 27, signed a two-year, $12.3 million contract with a player option in the second year. As one of the league's most prolific three-point shooters, there’s clear value in his game, but there are also limitations that will impact his role and the lineup combinations Nick Nurse can run.
The Sixers’ starting five is set, injuries aside, so Simons will come off the bench for Philadelphia and could be among the most important bench pieces in the league if he plays to his potential.
Three-point shooting has been a noticeable weakness for the Sixers for years. They have finished in the bottom half of the league in 3-point percentage in each of the last three seasons, but Philadelphia's struggles are not just a matter of efficiency. They're also a matter of volume.
The Sixers have not finished in the top half of the league in attempted threes since the 2017-18 season, Joel Embiid’s second season in the NBA. A lot has changed since then. Teams averaged 29 three-point attempts per game that season compared to 37 last year.
The best teams have evolved with the sport, and one of the Sixers’ greatest issues is that they have failed to evolve similarly. Many players and coaches have come and gone, but Philadelphia still attempted a below-average 35.0 threes per game last season.
Simons cannot solve that issue on his own, but his addition could indicate the Sixers recognize the need for change.
Over the past five years, Simons ranks 15th in the league in made threes and 12th in three-point percentage. Last season, he shot 38.5% from three on 6.9 attempts per game, both slightly above his career averages.
Simons has generated plenty of three-point shots off the dribble throughout his career, but in Philadelphia, he’ll have an opportunity to take far more catch-and-shoot threes than in seasons past.
As his career has progressed, he’s continued to increase the share of his threes coming off the catch, going from 42% to 50.5% to 52.4% last season. Simons averaged 3.6 catch-and-shoot attempts per game last season, connecting at a 43.9% clip.
Simons was one of the NBA’s best off-the-catch threats, ranking fourth among players who averaged at least three such attempts and appeared in at least 50 games. Among that group, he also ranked second in effective field goal percentage.
Playing off LeBron, Brown, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey should give Simons no shortage of those opportunities. His value as a complementary shooter has arguably never been higher.
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Simons is likely to have more opportunities to back up Maxey than rookie Labaron Philon, at least for now. Even though he’s far from a traditional point guard, his experience and ball security are valuable, as is his ability to open the floor for his teammates.
There are still facilitation concerns.
Last season, 75 players logged at least 1,000 minutes and had a usage rate of at least 23.0%, according to Basketball-Reference. Of those players, Simons ranked 63rd in assist percentage.
While Simons is not a prolific creator for others, he is at least secure with the ball. He finished eighth in turnover percentage (9.1%) using that same criteria, one spot above Maxey (9.2%).
Then there is the attention he commands.
Simons ranked 10th in the NBA in on-ball gravity last season, according to BBall Index. He was one spot behind Maxey and the only non-starter listed in the top 35. On-ball gravity measures the defensive attention a player commands with the ball, which can create advantages elsewhere on the floor as defenses react.
That's what makes Simons an interesting secondary ball-handler. His assist numbers are generally uninspiring, but he can bend a defense without turning the ball over at a high rate. The issue is whether he can consistently take advantage of the passing windows that attention creates.
It's something both Simons and Maxey have struggled with throughout their careers. Maxey has gradually improved at maximizing those opportunities in recent years.
Simons doesn't have to become Scott Skiles. But similar improvement would go a long way toward solidifying his role as Maxey's primary backup.
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Defense hasn’t been a calling card for Simons throughout his career. He’s smaller than most guards in both height and weight, and while he has displayed plenty of athleticism, it’s more vertical than lateral.
To his credit, last season was important for his defensive development. Simons seized an opportunity to grow after signing with the Celtics and learned what it takes to defend players with a size advantage.
“One of the things that I learned instantly when I came to Boston is that the intensity defensively has to be a virus, because you’re kind of at a disadvantage if you're guarding somebody that's bigger than you,” Simons said this summer.
That disadvantage isn't going away in Philadelphia.
The Sixers’ lack of size at both guard spots is a real concern, particularly when Maxey and Simons share the floor. Simons likely won’t be a plus defender, especially on the ball, but Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have both shown how the right mentality can help mitigate size concerns. Simons has shown a similar drive and was recognized in Boston for the strides he made as a defender.
It also puts greater importance on who Nurse plays around a Maxey-Simons backcourt.
The additions of LeBron, Brown and Dean Wade should help mitigate some of those size concerns. More than anything, though, a defensive anchor — ideally a renaissance for Embiid as a rim protector or a notable step forward from Adem Bona or Ariel Hukporti — would ease the defensive responsibility placed on Simons.
The offense Simons provides makes experimenting with those combinations worthwhile. But his size will put a limit on just how creative Nurse can get with the rest of the lineup.
The Sixers arguably haven’t had a bench scorer as electric as Simons since Lou Williams. While Jared McCain showed flashes, Simons is far more established, and his experience should help ease his transition into this team.
Few know the impact Simons can make better than Jabari Walker. The two were teammates in Portland for three seasons from 2022 to 2025. Speaking to Walker earlier this offseason, he called Simons “an amazing player” and said that he “contributes to winning right away.”
Simons' arrival could also help address an issue Philadelphia has struggled with in recent seasons: finding ways to get Maxey off the ball and occasionally off the floor without the offense suffering.
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