Anfernee Simons trade rumors have been surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers for quite some time now. Last summer, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian said that trading one of Simons or Jerami Grant before training camp was "definitely the goal."
After that didn't happen, many expected the Blazers to move Simons at February's trade deadline. Instead, Portland was one of the few teams to stand pat at the historic and chaotic deadline, with general manager Joe Cronin saying he didn't find the right value.
The Orlando Magic are the most obvious fit, given his hometown ties and their dire need for shooting after finishing dead last in three-point percentage -- but practically every team can use more playmaking and shooting.
Blazers must trade Anfernee Simons before it's too late
Simons was deemed a top ten trade asset on the market by Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley last offseason. Hopefully, the Blazers didn't wait too long (which Cronin tends to do with players like Jerami Grant and Robert Williams III) and will still be able to cash in their chips this summer.
Portland's situation with Simons got a bit murkier after their surprising 36-win season. On one hand, they are looking to accelerate their rebuild and make a playoff push as soon as next season. Keeping Simons -- their second-best player according to FanSided's recent NBA 99 player rankings -- would help them accomplish that shortsighted goal.
But on the other hand, Simons's contract is set to expire after the 2025-26 season, and his impact on winning as an undersized, high-volume combo guard doesn't justify the payday he's set to get. Their long-term ceiling will be significantly limited if Portland decides to keep him around.
They would be better off building around their recent top ten picks, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, both of whom showed enough flashes throughout their respective up-and-down seasons.
Henderson's counting stats didn't jump off the page at 12.7 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game, but he played much more winning basketball in terms of his improved defense, efficiency, and decision-making.
Meanwhile, Sharpe had his best season yet, especially towards the end of the season when the Blazers shut down key veterans and made their young core more of a priority. In Sharpe's 25 games after the All-Star break, he averaged 21.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He still needs to improve his defense and three-point shooting (31.1), but he can potentially become the Robin to Deni Avdija's Batman.
The hardest part with trading Simons is that it weakens key areas that Portland still needs to address. But they'd be better off finding another combo guard who is clearly behind Henderson and Shapre in the hierarchy to clear the path for their development.
A few intriguing options could be available if the Blazers hold at No. 10 in the 2025 NBA Draft, including Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, or Jase Richardson.