Grade the Mock Trade: Blazers ship Anfernee Simons East for younger guard, 2025 first

No one on the Portland Trail Blazers roster should be untouchable with the exceptions of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Both players are 20 years old; Sharpe has 112 games of NBA experience (40 starts) while Scoot is only 62 games into his career. The duo is expected to be the backcourt of the future in Rip City and both players hold superstar potential.

But Anfernee Simons may be Portland's most valuable player, at least at the moment. He just finished his sixth NBA season, is still just 24 years old, has proven to be a legitimate scorer when healthy and improved as a playmaker. He also still has two years left on a team-friendly contract.

Those things all make him the Blazers' most valuable trade asset as well, though, and with the team unlikely to be competitive by the time he's due for another more expensive deal, Simons is expendable.

Another recent trade proposal links Ant with an Eastern Conference upstart and lands Portland a cheaper and younger point guard who's a better fit alongside Henderson and Sharpe as well as a potentially valuable first-round pick. But is it enough for a player like Simons?

Latest trade idea sends Anfernee Simons from Portland Trail Blazers to Orlando Magic

Bleacher Report published a piece detailing one trade possibility for every team eliminated from the NBA postseason. Their idea for the Blazers has Simons going to Orlando as the Magic's missing piece next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Here's the deal in its entirety: