Dan Favale of Bleacher Report proposed the next mock commerce thought between the Magic and Blazers:
Orlando Magic Obtain: Anfernee Simons
Portland Path Blazers Obtain: Cole Anthony, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, 2025 first-round decide (least favorable from Denver or Orlando), 2027 first-round decide (lottery safety)
The Blazers missed the playoffs in 2024, whereas the Magic misplaced to the Cleveland Cavaliers within the first spherical in seven video games.
“Simons is a perfect slot in Orlando,” Favale wrote in his NBA commerce proposal. “He simply downed almost 43 % of his catch-and-fire triples and continues to nail his off-the-dribble treys at a passable clip, and the 8.8 three-pointers he jacked per recreation this season would have led the Magic by a colossal margin. However whereas he brings some secondary playmaking, he doesn’t test the floor-general field.
“Right here’s the factor: Cole Anthony doesn’t, both. And Orlando retains Anthony Black as a part of this proposal. Even so, the Magic are enjoying a few of their greatest remaining commerce chips. They should actually consider their offense will stage up with Simons, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner operating the present. That’s a big gamble.
“Then once more, it’s a wager Orlando is already making. It has to date opted to go after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and reinvest in non-point guards reasonably than goal a recreation supervisor. Simons jibes with the committee method to offensive initiation, and the live-dribble menace he poses, when hooked up to the whole lot else this workforce has in place, is sufficient for all of us, collectively, to begin saying some fairly inflammatory issues in regards to the 2024-25 Magic.”
Simons appeared in 46 video games for the Blazers this previous season. He averaged 22.6 factors, 3.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.1 blocks whereas capturing 43.0% from the sector, 38.5% from past the arc and 91.6% from the free-throw line.
The 25-year-old Simons will make $25.9 million subsequent season. He holds profession averages of 14.1 factors, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.1 blocks.
