After trading away Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers have been focused on rebuilding. Despite being a standout player during the rebuild, an Anfernee Simons trade might be in the works soon.
Is Anfernee Simons the Odd Man Out in the Blazers Rebuild?
The Portland Trail Blazers have been out of the spotlight for a long while after the Damian Lillard trade. They are well into a Blazers rebuild because they want to focus on drafting young talent and maximizing their development.
Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan will have long-term spots in Portland. Even though he has been brilliant for the Blazers, Anfernee Simons might be the odd man. Simons’ stats have been impressive, which might make him appealing to other teams. Furthermore, his overlap with Sharpe and Henderson also plays a factor in a potential trade.
Simons’ Role in Portland has Always Been Peculiar
After the Lillard trade, Simons was the clear-cut replacement because they play a similar style. That should not be surprising because Anfernee was Dame’s understudy for multiple years. He even became the backcourt partner after the CJ McCollum trade.
Portland general manager Joe Cronin and his front office had different plans. They selected Henderson with the third overall pick in 2023. It was a natural decision because he was the best player available, but he plays point guard. He overlapped with Anfernee and Dame, who promptly requested a trade.
Simons took the starting point guard job, while Henderson developed off the bench. It would have been a good decision if Portland traded Anfernee after the 2023-24 season. However, they persisted with Simons, which meant Henderson is playing off the bench during the 2024-25 season.
This has led to Scoot missing out on valuable development time as the go-to point guard. It also does not help that he has faced some injuries, which led to missing games. Simons and Dalano Banton have become Chauncey Billups’ go-to options, leaving Scoot in a predicament. As the 24-25 season progresses, rumors of a Simons trade are intensifying because people want Henderson to start.
Simons is Still a Brilliant Player for Portland
When you look at the Simons stats for the 24-25 season, it might look like a down year. Fortunately, he has been turning it up as of late. In his last five games, he has averaged 21.6 points per game. This includes the game against Dallas when he had a third quarter where he scored 24 points.
Spectacular 3Q from Anfernee Simons:
🔥 24 PTS
🔥 8-10 FGM
🔥 5 3PM
🔥 3 AST@trailblazers down 3 headed to the 4th! pic.twitter.com/E8aSTuv8bH— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2024
Anfernee is a fantastic offensive player who could explode as a three-level scorer and a playmaker. He has learned well from Dame’s mentorship because they play almost the same way. Simons is an intriguing player because he would thrive on any team in the league. That makes a Simons trade a possible move teams go for.
Where Can Simons End Up?
At 25, Simons is still relatively young, making him a viable target for any team. He will be a valuable trade piece for Portland because they could get draft compensation and a possible rotation player. Here are the most viable teams that could trade for the well-rounded guard.
Orlando Magic
Franz Wagner has been brilliant in Paolo Banchero’s absence this season. The Magic are rolling with a 15-7 record and a six-game winning streak, with Wagner leading the way. However, the team would need more offensive firepower from their backcourt even when Banchero returns.
That is where Simons comes in because he is a fantastic scorer and playmaker for the team. Anfernee will thrive as the third star for this team because Paolo and Franz have leaped to stardom. He could be an on-ball scorer, but he is also a successful off-ball player, as seen in the Simons stats. The 25-year-old was superb in off-ball situations, making 47.8% on catch-and-shoot threes in the 2021-22 season. He shot 39.2% in the following campaign albeit with significantly higher shot attempts.
Since Orlando is his hometown, expect Simons to feel at home with the Magic. Jalen Suggs can slide to the shooting guard position, while Franz and Paolo play as the wings. This trade could happen by packaging Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jett Howard with a 2027 first-round pick.
Miami Heat
The Heat have been looking for more guard scoring for a while, and Simons might be the solution. He is a fantastic scoring guard but could also set the table as a playmaker. Considering the Heat were desperate for Lillard before the 2023-24 season, getting his understudy could be a fantastic move.
Anfernee would mesh well with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Blazers guard is a sweet shooter, but he also has the athleticism to thrive in any pick-and-roll situation. Under Erik Spoelstra, Simons could thrive with the Heat, especially since he will have a green light to shoot. With his versatility on offense, the Simons could get back on track in South Beach.
Portland’s primary target in this trade will be a 2029 first-round pick. The deal could involve Terry Rozier and Pelle Larsson matching Simons’ contract. The Blazers will continue in the trade market, as they will not want Rozier to eat into Henderson’s minutes.
The Front Office Commit to a Blazers Rebuild with a Simons Trade
Portland has many tradeable players with Simons, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton, and Robert Williams III. Most of them will probably be with another team by the 24/25 season because the Blazers’ rebuild is the priority. Henderson, Sharpe, Clingan, and Toumani Camara are Portland’s building blocks for the future. With this young core, the Blazers are ready to succeed. However, they must make the deals, including the Simons trade which has been a long time coming.
