The 2025 NBA Draft is fast approaching, and June 25th will be here before we know it. That means the Portland Trail Blazers have roughly two weeks to find the right deal for star guard Anfernee Simons. ESPN's Brian Windhorst expects offseason action to quickly pick up after the Finals conclude. If the Blazers are smart, Simons will be part of that flurry of fast-moving trades.
Last summer, Portland made a surprising trade for Deni Avdija right before the draft began. Could they make a similarly timed move with Simons? Here's why it would be in their best interest to do so.
The Blazers must trade Anfernee Simons ASAP
The Blazers have no desire to wind up back in the lottery and will seek immediate roster upgrades to improve their chances of ending a four-year playoff drought. This No. 11 selection could be the last time they pick this high in a while, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo decides to stay in Milwaukee and their Bucks picks diminish in value.
A Simons trade feels inevitable now more than ever; the Blazers are finally at a crossroads with his looming extension and Scoot Henderson's largely promising second season. Trading him by June 25th would give them much more flexibility and ammunition leading up to a pivotal draft for their rebuild. The good news is that this strong draft class and the Blazers' depth give them multiple pathways -- both in this trade and the draft overall -- allowing them to maximize their return.
Portland likely missed the ideal window to trade Simons, as he's now an expiring contract coming off a relatively down year. However, there should still be a market for a prolific 20-point scorer just entering his prime at 26 years old.
What Portland should be looking for in a Simons trade
Portland should explore all avenues in a Simons deal, but ideally, it will include some form of draft capital in this upcoming draft. They could even look at packaging No. 11 and Simons to move up. The Philadelphia 76ers are keeping an open mind and could trade back from the No. 3 overall pick, but it's unlikely Simons has that kind of value to get a deal done.
A more realistic option could be the Pelicans at No. 7. That would put Portland firmly in that top eight tier of players, guaranteeing they'd land one of Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, or Khaman Maluach (we don't think Jeremiah Fears would be a good fit due to the positional overlap with Henderson).
Portland does have intriguing prospects available at No. 11 should they decide to stand pat. But if Kasparas Jakucionis is off the table, it's hard to find a prospect who is a good shooter without having to reach for someone like Cedric Coward. That becomes a problem for the Blazers, who desperately need help in that department, especially because many of their best shooters are veterans who don't fit into their long-term picture, such as Simons and Jerami Grant.
Moving up would ensure they land a prospect that is both a combination of ceiling and fit. However, even trading Simons to a team like the Orlando Magic, who have picks later in the draft, also makes perfect sense.
The Magic have the No. 16 pick, which would put the Blazers in a great position to land a guard at No. 11 and then a forward at 16, addressing their two most glaring positional needs. Or, perhaps Portland prefers a package consisting of Orlando's No. 25 pick and Anthony Black, which aligns more with Joe Cronin's unique tendency to prioritize up-and-coming players in deals.
The exact framework of a Simons deal and what's realistically on the table remains to be seen. But there has to be some sort of deal similar to these hypotheticals out there -- Simons is too skilled a player for it not to exist.
It’s on the Blazers to find it and use this pivotal draft to add another valuable piece (or two) to their exciting young core.