Trade Proposal Sends Blazers’ Anfernee Simons To Magic

One NBA analyst proposed that the Orlando Magic acquire Anfernee Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Dan Favale of Bleacher Report proposed the following mock trade idea between the Magic and Blazers:

Orlando Magic Receive: Anfernee Simons

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, 2025 first-round pick (least favorable from Denver or Orlando), 2027 first-round pick (lottery protection)

The Blazers missed the playoffs in 2024, while the Magic lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in seven games. 

“Simons is an ideal fit in Orlando,” Favale wrote in his NBA trade proposal. “He just downed nearly 43 percent of his catch-and-fire triples and continues to nail his off-the-dribble treys at a satisfactory clip, and the 8.8 three-pointers he jacked per game this season would have led the Magic by a colossal margin. But while he brings some secondary playmaking, he doesn’t check the floor-general box.

“Here’s the thing: Cole Anthony doesn’t, either. And Orlando retains Anthony Black as part of this proposal. Even so, the Magic are playing some of their best remaining trade chips. They have to really believe their offense will level up with Simons, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner running the show. That’s a gamble.

“Then again, it’s a wager Orlando is already making. It has so far opted to go after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and reinvest in non-point guards rather than target a game manager. Simons jibes with the committee approach to offensive initiation, and the live-dribble threat he poses, when attached to everything else this team has in place, is enough for all of us, collectively, to start saying some pretty inflammatory things about the 2024-25 Magic.”

Simons appeared in 46 games for the Blazers this past season. He averaged 22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.1 blocks while shooting 43.0% from the field, 38.5% from beyond the arc and 91.6% from the free-throw line. 

The 25-year-old Simons will make $25.9 million next season. He holds career averages of 14.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.1 blocks.