All the talk has been about Anfernee Simons winding up in Orlando, but perhaps there's an under-the-radar landing spot we are overlooking: the Houston Rockets.
Bleacher Report host Rob Perez recently proposed a trade that sends Simons to Houston, one that Portland Trail Blazers fans should be thrilled about.
Here is the proposed deal:
Simons makes sense for Houston. This deal doesn't.
Houston makes sense as a surprise landing spot for Simons. The playoffs proved that they desperately need more offensive firepower, and Simons would be their best bet to provide that the second he touches down in HTown.
The Rockets have a looming decision to make with Fred VanVleet, who has a $44.9 million team option for the 2025-26 season. Houston could decide to replace him with Simons, who already has a similar talent level but is a better fit for their timeline at 25 years old.
However, it's too steep a price to pay. Smith has already emerged as a key contributor in his third season, and it's not worth parting ways with Sheppard as they don't fully know what they have in him yet.
This is not to say that Houston shouldn't be open to trading these young assets; they should. But if they do, it should be for a more aggresive blockbuster trade, whether that's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, or someone else entirely.
Going from VanVleet to Simons is a lateral move. It wouldn't move the needle, and they'd still need to find more star power to become legitimate contenders out West. If they keep VanVleet and Simons, well, Blazers fans unfortunately know all too well about how an undersized offensive-minded guard duo contributes to regular-season success but doesn't translate to the postseason.
Sheppard and Smith would be perfect for Portland's young core
For the draft capital Portland receives, Perez doesn't specify but notes it would be something along the lines of a protected first-round pick or swaps. In past deals, Blazers general manager Joe Cronin has prioritized young talent over draft capital, and this one would be no different.
The headliners would be Houston's up-and-coming talent of Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr., both recent No. 3 overall picks. Sheppard and Smith would be perfect fits for the Blazers' offseason needs. They need to find more shooting, a backup point guard, and more forward depth.
After this fleece of a trade, it would be hard to find a weakness in Portland's roster outside of their lack of star power. But the Blazers would have one of the most promising young cores in terms of draft capital invested -- they'd have eight young players that were top ten picks after accounting for this upcoming draft. And with that much draft capital already on the roster, odds are one of them eventually becomes that missing star.
This is a deal that Portland should consider, even if it were just Sheppard or Smith. But the fact that it includes both, with draft capital attached, makes it a no-brainer.