Anfernee Simons believes his mentality, rather than his place in the starting lineup, will determine his impact as he begins the next chapter of his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Appearing on the Cousins podcast alongside Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Simons explained how he approaches coming off the bench after spending much of his career as a starter.
“Obviously you got the ultimate confidence in yourself that you feel like you’re a starter,” Simons said. “Obviously the role is different. You might be coming off the bench, but my mindset going into the game is I’ve already competed at a high level with starters, and it’s going to be just even easier for me when I come into the game. Playing against second units.”
The comments reflect a significant adjustment for the 27-year-old guard, who started 208 of his first 389 NBA games with the Portland Trail Blazers before transitioning into a reserve role following his move to the Boston Celtics during the 2025-26 season.
Simons averaged 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 55 games last season while shooting 44.0% from the field, 38.5% from three-point range and 89.6% from the free-throw line. After joining Boston, he appeared in 49 games exclusively as a reserve and posted 14.2 points per game while improving his three-point accuracy to 39.5%.
His willingness to embrace that role carried into free agency, where he signed a two-year, $12.3 million contract with Philadelphia this offseason.
The Sixers’ roster has undergone a dramatic overhaul. Philadelphia acquired Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade with Boston, added LeBron James in free agency, and retained stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to form one of the league’s most accomplished cores. Rather than competing for a starting backcourt spot, Simons is expected to provide instant offense as the team’s primary scoring option off the bench.
His scoring résumé suggests he is well-equipped for that assignment. Simons averaged at least 17 points per game in four consecutive seasons from 2021-22 through 2024-25, including career highs of 22.6 points and 5.5 assists in 46 games during the 2023-24 campaign. Over eight NBA seasons, he has averaged 14.9 points while shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc.
