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NBA Draft: What Simons selection means for Trail Blazers, CJ McCollum, Shabazz Napier

By Matt George Moore

PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 20: Shabazz Napier #6 of the Portland Trail Blazers against the Houston Rockets at Moda Center on March 20, 2018 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 20: Shabazz Napier #6 of the Portland Trail Blazers against the Houston Rockets at Moda Center on March 20, 2018 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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How does drafting Anfernee Simons and trading for Gary Trent Jr. affect the Portland Trail Blazers’ relationship with CJ McCollum and Shabazz Napier?

I argued recently that the Portland Trail Blazers should look to trade CJ McCollum to help bring more veteran talent to the Portland Trail Blazers’ young roster.

Now that Portland has selected 19-year-old Anfernee Simons with the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and traded for Gary Trent Jr., I’m even more convinced that shopping McCollum is the right thing to do for this franchise. And with Shabazz Napier’s Blazers future up in the air (he’s a free agent) and a glut of smaller guards on the roster, now is the time to make the move.

Napier and McCollum

Free agency for the upcoming NBA season begins July 1. My hope is that Napier re-signs with the Trail Blazers. He’s a quality backup and can lead this team. In fact, he’s already proven that he’s capable of starting and playing winning basketball — as he did last season when Damian Lillard was out.

If Bazz signs with another team, the Blazers still have Wade Baldwin. And Rip City will have to hope that he can build on the promising, if limited, start to his Blazers career.

McCollum’s situation is decidedly different; he’s signed through 2020-2021. And he packs a salary wallop: $25.7 million next season; $27.5 million in 2019-2020; and $29.3 million in 2020-2021. If Portland is considering a trade that includes McCollum, they’ll have to find a team that can absorb that contract while also giving up something that makes Portland a better team now — not down the road.

Portland fans are tired of looking down the road.

2018 NBA Draft

The drafting of Simons and the acquisition of Gary Trent Jr. via trade means that Olshey continues to stock the roster with unproven talent, much as he did with Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard. (Evan Turner is a different story; he was a proven non-talent, but Olshey signed him anyway.)

Olshey signed Harkless, Leonard and Turner through 2019-2020. Maybe some lucky team would like to take those guys off the Blazers’ hands, but I ain’t holding my breath.

Trent Jr. might see the court sooner than Simons does. But they’re both unlikely to help Portland much next season.

What might help Portland next season is a batch of veterans who can provide consistent and productive minutes — something that Harkless, Leonard and Turner have not been able to do.

Next: 3 reasons why Anfernee Simons was a good pick for Blazers

Shopping McCollum means two things. First, it means Portland can consider trading for a handful of veterans to shore up an anemic offense. Second, it will give Simons time to develop his game. And if Simons develops sooner rather than later? Even better.

Drafting Simons and picking up Trent Jr. may not affect McCollum or Napier directly. But it might encourage Olshey to revisit the idea that McCollum is “untradable” — and start thinking of ways to make the Blazers better in 2018-2019.