{"id":146535,"date":"2025-06-24T06:48:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T10:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=146535"},"modified":"2025-06-24T06:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T10:52:17","slug":"the-blazers-anfernee-simons-trade-has-divided-the-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/24\/the-blazers-anfernee-simons-trade-has-divided-the-fans\/","title":{"rendered":"The Blazers&#8217; Anfernee Simons Trade Has Divided The Fans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After years of rumors surrounding <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/simonan01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anfernee Simons<\/a>, the Trail Blazers have finally traded him. However, it came at a potential cost because it was a polarizing deal that involved <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a> moving to Portland.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_146553\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-146553\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-146553\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26162454_168414264_lowres.jpg 1876w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-146553\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) dribbles in front of New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The Blazers&#8217; Anfernee Simons Trade Has Divided The Fans<\/h2>\n<p>Simons was the longest-tenured player on the Portland Trail Blazers roster. The team selected him 24th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, and he developed every year. From a raw prospect, Simons gradually became a starter as his career went on, proudly representing Rip City.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers front office went in a different direction when they selected <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hendesc01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scoot Henderson<\/a> in 2023. That meant the youngster from the G League Ignite team was the long-term point guard. This <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/11\/blazers-guard-dilemma-between-henderson-and-simons\/\" target=\"_self\">left the team in a weird spot<\/a> because Simons is great, but he was not the chosen one.<\/p>\n<p>This led to trade rumors centered on Simons, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/05\/magic-potential-offseason-trade-target-right-fit\/\" target=\"_self\">including a return to his hometown team<\/a>, the Orlando Magic. That did not materialize because they <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/15\/grizzlies-magic-desmond-bane-offseason-trade-breakdown\/\" target=\"_self\">opted to trade<\/a> for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/banede01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Desmond Bane<\/a>. With that out of the way, the Blazers looked for other teams, and the Boston Celtics were their trade partner. Unfortunately, this has divided the Portland community.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WELL WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE YALL?<\/p>\n<p>Anfernee Simons taking in a little Magic playoff basketball. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7eZmJCbAHa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/7eZmJCbAHa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Sixth Man Show (@SixthManShow) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SixthManShow\/status\/1915991644463096053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Portland&#8217;s Defense Gets A Boost With This Trade<\/h3>\n<p>The Trail Blazers were one of the most promising defensive teams in the second half of the 2024-25 season. With <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/camarto01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toumani Camara<\/a> showcasing <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/12\/portland-toumani-camara-guarding-sga-and-jokic\/\" target=\"_self\">his versatility<\/a>, he earned an All-Defensive Second Team nod. The Blazers also have high-level defenders like <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/avdijde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deni Avdija<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/13\/blazers-donovan-clingan-franchise-center\/\" target=\"_self\">potential franchise center<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/clingdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donovan Clingan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Adding Holiday to that defensive unit makes them a defensive unit filled with potential. It will be terrifying to play against Portland&#8217;s defense. Under head coach Chauncey Billups, they like playing zone defense. However, they can also do a Camara-led full-court press.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a positive development, as the Trail Blazers could be elite in one area of the game.\u00a0 They must find ways to improve their offense, but they are relying on their youth to keep growing.<\/p>\n<h3>Trading Simons Leaves The Blazers&#8217; Offense Shorthanded<\/h3>\n<p>With Simons, the Blazers had a reliable three-level scorer. He was one of the league&#8217;s best shot creators, whether it was spotting up or self-created shots. Simons will bring that fiery offense to Boston. He averaged 19.3 points while shooting 36.3% from three on over eight attempts per game last season.<\/p>\n<p>The Blazers are missing a notable shooter on their roster. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/grantje01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerami Grant<\/a> is probably the most prolific shooter now, but he is also in a tough spot with his contract.<\/p>\n<p>This means Henderson will get many more minutes without Simons blocking his pathway. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/14\/chauncey-billups-believes-in-scoot-hendersons-development\/\" target=\"_self\">Billups challenged him to keep working in the offseason<\/a> in preparation for a big 2025-26 season. His inefficiency has the Blazers fans worried, but he should be ready for the rise in his responsibilities.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Scoot Henderson finally looks as good as everyone thought he\u2019d be<\/p>\n<p>Over his last 5, which includes a 3-point game, he\u2019s averaging 19.8 points, 3.2 boards, and 6.0 assists on 52\/50\/81 shooting<\/p>\n<p>He looks confident &amp; the Blazers NEED to continue featuring him to develop that <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/azFLgvNCXK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/azFLgvNCXK<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/h6mTWk6a4g\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/h6mTWk6a4g<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pointmadebball\/status\/1880871017482174803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 19, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Holiday&#8217;s Contract Has Left Fans Puzzled<\/h3>\n<p>The biggest talking point about Holiday is his gigantic contract. He is earning $104 million over the next three seasons, so he will be with the team for a while. Unless general manager Joe Cronin trades him at the 2026 trade deadline, Holiday will be there for the long haul.<\/p>\n<p>The contract will hurt the Trail Blazers because it covers a large portion of the team&#8217;s cap space. With the team facing a hard cap due to the first apron, the market gets more challenging. Portland&#8217;s defense might be strong, but they must work on other areas of the game.<\/p>\n<p>That is where Henderson and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sharpsh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shaedon Sharpe<\/a> become more important. They are the backcourt of the future, and they will play bigger roles for the team. The duo should take massive leaps in the 2025-26 season, even if Holiday is in the rotation. He won&#8217;t block them as much as Simons, who needed the ball to perform at his peak level.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Shaedon Sharpe has the footwork, athleticism, and skillset to win scoring titles in this league<\/p>\n<p>His space creation traits are special, and, when coupled with his 0.1% athleticism, he\u2019s going to be difficult for defenses to stop once he improves his handle<a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Igjsik67gH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Igjsik67gH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pointmadebball\/status\/1935477661008281975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Cronin must find resolutions to the team&#8217;s issues with the contracts. Thankfully for him, the market is open for the Blazers to make moves. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/aytonde01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deandre Ayton<\/a> is a trade candidate alongside fellow big man <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/williro04.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robert Williams III<\/a>. They are on expiring contracts, so shedding their deals could help the team.<\/p>\n<p>Letting go of Grant will be more challenging, but if they manage to do so, their books should improve. The offseason is still long for the Trail Blazers, but Cronin must be working to untangle these issues. Portland&#8217;s potential is real, but they must make more moves to help clear everything up.<\/p>\n<p>Photo credit: \u00a9 Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After years of rumors surrounding Anfernee Simons, the Trail Blazers have finally traded him. However, it came at a potential cost because it was a polarizing deal that involved Jrue Holiday moving to Portland. The Blazers&#8217; Anfernee Simons Trade Has Divided The Fans Simons was the longest-tenured player on the Portland Trail Blazers roster. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5385,"featured_media":146554,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,62,3,23],"tags":[1559,115,2831,239,4702,4600,49155],"class_list":["post-146535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-nba","category-news","category-trailblazers","tag-anfernee-simons","tag-chauncey-billups","tag-deni-avdija","tag-jrue-holiday","tag-scoot-henderson","tag-shaedon-sharpe","tag-toumani-camara"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146535"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146555,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146535\/revisions\/146555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}