During a fire sale at the 2026 NBA trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls landed a 26-year-old scoring star in Anfernee Simons.
While Simons hasn’t broken through to an All-Star level, he can be a difference-maker. The Bulls were excited to have him for a short period, but an injury sidelined him for most of his time with the team.
There’s a realistic shot the Bulls won’t see Simons in their uniform again, and he was recently predicted to make a surprise move to the Charlotte Hornets.
Why Anfernee Simons Makes Sense For Charlotte
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 19: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket as Anfernee Simons #22 of the Chicago Bulls defends during the first half at the United Center on February 19, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)
The Bulls already gave the Hornets a high-upside veteran in Coby White. There is an expectation that the Hornets will be the ones to pay White, after the Bulls decided to go in a different direction.
In this roundup of predictions from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, White makes a surprising decision to go to the Brooklyn Nets. Simons becomes the Hornets’ secondary plan to become Charlotte’s “heat-check” scorer in the second unit.
“Adding that kind of shooting to the second unit would allow the Hornets to continue down the same path they were on down the stretch of 2025-26, even without White,” Bailey wrote in his case for Simons to Charlotte.
“The caveat here is that Charlotte can’t get to even half of Simons’ previous salary in cap space, so he might have to be willing to play here for the mid-level exception (which starts at $15.1 million for 2026-27).”
The only thing Simons proved in Chicago was that he could be consistent after changing systems. Before the trade, Simons averaged 14.2 points and 2.4 assists, while shooting 39.5% from three. With the Bulls, his production was in the same ballpark.
Before landing in Boston, Simons had a seven-year run with the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged over 19 points in his final three seasons. Throughout his career, Simons shot 38.1% from the field.
Should The Bulls Fight For Simons?
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 26: Anfernee Simons #4 of the Boston Celtics looks on against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena on October 26, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
The Bulls are focusing on developing younger talent at the moment.
They moved on from Nikola Vucevic, who was expiring at the end of the year. Along with Simons, the Bulls landed a second-round pick. Being in a rebuild, the pick became more of a priority.
Simons is 26 with eight seasons of experience under his belt. The Bulls’ deadline pickup is more than likely going to consider contending situations over what the Bulls have in Chicago. In that case, the Bulls would have to convince him with an above-market value deal, which simply wouldn’t be worth it at this time.