When the Portland Trail Blazers finally unleashed Anfernee Simons this season, he answered the call and lived up to his potential so far. It may have been due to necessity because of the injuries to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but Simons has lived up to the trust given to him by head coach Chauncey Billups. In the midst of a tumultuous year for the Blazers, Simons has been one of the few bright spots in their campaign.
Over the past six matches, Simons has been tallying numbers of 28.3 points, 8.3 assists on 51.3 shooting from the field and a whopping 45.7 from three-point range. It seems unlikely for him to keep it up until the end of the season, so this might be the opportunity for Portland to trade him for a better combo forward or towering big man. Additionally, Simons is also entering restricted free agency in the offseason, so it might be tough for the Blazers to extend his contract for the long term.
Blazers Anfernee Simmons trade
Improve on defense and size
Even with the constant playoff appearances of Portland, one major hole in their squad has been their wings. They have been experimenting from Maurice Harkless, Carmelo Anthony, and Trevor Ariza to name a few, but they have not found the perfect fit to their system. With Simons' exceptional stretch, they could scour around the league for a franchise that would yearn for his services in exchange for heftier individuals.
Lillard and McCollum have expressed their desire to still stay in Portland, so it does not seem ideal to sign a backup guard to huge contract. Even with the disgruntled front office, they must prioritize their necessity to bolster their defense in order to aid the offensive prowess of Lillard and McCollum. Simmons' value continues to skyrocket over the past two weeks, so there could be enticing offers floating on the market before the February 10 deadline.
Don't overpay an undersized, backup guard
With Simons' pending extension, a franchise like the Blazers is susceptible to recency bias and signing individuals to long term deals. A Blazers fanatic may have remembered their 2016 free agency moves wherein they signed five players to around a combined $245 million dollars, wherein most of them did not even have a lasting impact on the roster.
Playing Simons alongside their talented duo is not ideal because of the lack of size and defensive abilities. Billups already knows their defense gets exposed every game, so he would not even decide to insert three subpar defenders simultaneously. Since Simons is entering restricted free agency, an organization may offer him an enormous deal and Portland could be forced to match it or just lose him for nothing. Before even reaching that point, they must invest their finances on a person they would utilize with their core pieces.
His value is at its highest right now
Simons' aforementioned numbers over the past six games has been magnificent and eye-popping as this is way past his ceiling as a consistent point guard in the league. These superstar-like performances are unsustainable for Simons, especially with the pending return of McCollum on Monday night. For a squad like the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks, Simons could warrant a slot on their lineup wherein he would play more minutes and get paid.
Malcolm Brogdon has been hounded by injuries all throughout his career, and Kemba Walker has been horrendous for the Knicks. Impatience and eagerness could be an issue for two of this struggling franchises, so Portland must at least negotiate with some of these teams that may desire for a scoring and facilitating guard. Moreover, the Pacers and Knicks could offer a two-way wing like T.J. Warren or Alec Burks to eventually find an individual that would complement Lillard and McCollum.
This has been a long and arduous process for Portland to find the recipe to become a consistent force in the Western Conference, but messing up on the talent and IQ of Simons cannot be accepted anymore. They cannot risk him entering the offseason without a contract, especially if they already hear whispers of other teams that are interested in him. The front office of Portland would not want an Allen Crabbe or Evan Turner situation anymore, so swinging a trade for future assets seems like the brilliant move right now.
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