Anfernee Simons is sent out by Trailblazers for a young guard.
This proposed trade involves the Trail Blazers moving on from star guard Anfernee Simons to build for the future.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale and Grant Hughes have released a list of mock trades for every NBA team not currently in the NBA Finals, which includes a few trades involving the Portland Trail Blazers. Many mock trades have the Blazers doing business with the Orlando Magic, but this one is particularly interesting:
Mock trade has Blazers swapping offense for defense
The idea of this trade is to move on from Simons, who some may see as a “black hole” on the court due to his high offensive output and low defensive ability. While Simons is not a standout defender, Anthony Black is likely not the solution to Portland’s defensive woes, especially when giving up a player who carries so much of the offensive burden.
Black is only 20 years old, meaning the Trail Blazers would prefer to keep him a part of their young core if they made a trade for him. In his first season, Black saw the court in 69 games but was forced to fight for minutes in a crowded Orlando backcourt. He only averaged about 17 minutes per game, which is quite low for the No. 6 pick in last year’s draft.
Grant Hughes’ vision for this trade is for Black to come off the Blazers’ bench to provide playmaking and defense, which were his strengths in his rookie season.