Anfernee Simons trade destinations

How many teams won with only one superstar and that superstar is a short guard? Maybe the Warriors if you don't count Klay as a superstar? That team was perfectly built around Steph. Something Neil could never do with Dame.

But let's say we don't make any moves, when is the last time we had a starting lineup that's as talented overall as Simons/Sharpe/Avdija/Grant/Ayton?

 

This is my point! So we patiently take four years for the cake to bake and then contracts expire and off they go! How is this a “plan?”

We gotta rebuild in 2-3 years and you do this with a blend of new and vet players I feel. Stop tanking and go for the playoffs. We tanked the past two seasons and I’m not sure that we are any closer to winning the title!

 

You may end up having to trade the first guys you drafted during the tank in exchange for assets that fit better (if they aren't willing to re-sign). Probably won't happen. You usually get 7 years or so before you lose guys that you really want to keep.

And we should be VERY competitive in 4 or 5 more years.

But we don't have enough talent to be done yet.

 

2019 WCF team was much more talented than the current roster, especially prior to Nurk injury.

I'm all for rebuilding, but the current roster is nowhere close to finished. That's the reason we should trade vets for long term pieces. That actually would give us a better chance in the long run, instead of no chance now and little chance later.

 

it would give us a better chance in the long run, IF we actually hit on picks we get say next year and the year after.

There is also a very high chance one of those picks or both can flop and we continue to waste years.

 

There is plenty of minutes to go around at guard between Simons/Sharpe/Scoot. We already know that Simons is a good guard and can play either position. Scoot showed flashes, but he was terrible at both ends last year. I don't think he'll stay terrible, but why send Simons away just to "clear the way" for someone who might be a total bust? I'd wait another year at minimum to see how they progress.

Hypothetically, imagine we didn't have Scoot. Would we be stressing about finding our PG of the future with Simons? I think not.

 

Scoot is a better passer than Ant. But had a TS of 49%. That is horrendous, especially in the modern nba. Also, I don't think he was any better defensively, based on the eye test.

I like Scoot's potential, but the Blazers shouldn't be so quick to put all their eggs in the Scoot basket just because they drafted him at #3. Simons is a much better player right now, and it's not even close.

 

Simons can't defend guards. He gotta go.

 

overall? Well, in 2020-21, Blazers won the equivalent of 48 games in an 82 game season. That lineup you listed would not have a chance at 48 wins. Of course, that team 4 years ago had Dame and his talent kind of unbalances any roster talent comparisons

 

Yeah, you can't compare this team to any team that had Dame.

 

Nobody on this team is anywhere near as talented as Dame, at least not yet.... I'm still holding out hope for Sharpe.

But we have no clue what this starting five is capable of. I'm not even sure if Simons/Grant can stay healthy. I've yet to see it.

 

I've said this already. We shouldn't give Ant away. He is fantastic on offense, especially in the right situation. We should however be looking to trade him unless the front office and Chauncey are sure that he would accept a sixth man role and start looking to use his scoring prowess to also set teammates up. If it's Ant taking major minutes in which he offers very little opportunity for Scoot and Shaedon to grow because he's isoing and going 1 on 5 then he hurts what our team has stated they are trying to do (build around Scoot and Shaedon).

In a rebuild you don't have to look at trading Ant if it has a solid return of draft capital and/or young prospects as putting all of our eggs in the Scoot basket. It's just allowing Scoot to show us who he really is unimpeded by a guy who will set him up to fail on defense and will take opportunities away from him on offense.

If you don't get why Ant isn't a great fit here and should have more value on teams that need perimeter scoring to help them win now then I don't know what to tell you. That being said if there isn't a market for Ant right now then Chauncey has to tell him that his role has changed. We should not just give Ant away but it's mind boggling to me how other teams get the trades done that they need to, in order to have a roster with a direction that makes sense, while Joe can't seem to do it time after time after time.

 

A lot of very talented offensive players are not good on defense: Lillard, Harden, Doncic...

 

Ant averaged 5.5 assists per game, while being our main offensive weapon.

You basically answered why we should keep Ant "should have more value on teams that need perimeter scoring"

Guess what, we need that, badly. Ant is only 25 guys! That still very young. Him and Grant our best 3 pointer shooters, and Ant averaged more attempts per game than Grant. Also Simon was in the top ten of 3's made per game.

If we can trade Ant for someone like Lauri Markkanen, I'm down for it. To trade Ant for what many have suggested here, the Orlando package and other crap, it's pointless.

 

If you do a 3 man rotation at guard with Sharpe/Scoot/Simons, Scoot can play PG 32 minutes per game, and Ant 16 minutes per game, and let Ant play SG when he's on the court with Scoot.

It won't hurt Scoot's development, he'll still have plenty of time. He seemed to relax and play better coming off the bench, with less pressure.

 

I don't think you understand what the meaning of "chance" is.

 

I would think the Lakers are loaded in the front court, but not so much in the backcourt. They should be looking to get Ant, not Grant. Ant and Reeves would be a good backcourt for them.

 

I understand, but you act like anyone we draft is going to be a star and it doesn't quite workout like that..

Each year in the draft there is many in the top 5-10 that don't pan out. Having a chance still comes with a risk.

 

Lillard is a far better (less bad?) defender than Ant. Either way, how many titles do those guys have between them?

We already suck. Let's take this opportunity and build for championships.

 

Funny, isn't it? If a player does not reach the expectations of a writer/fan/fantasy person....they must be traded. Doesn't matter that they are the most deadly shooter on the team.
I try to never blame players for their level of play that is different than the expectation that was created by anyone other than themselves. When a kid comes out of college and emphatically states they are going to be "all that", then I might criticize...regardless of where they were taken or the contract they were given. In my eyes, it really began with Shaquille O'Neil. Even Jordan was given time to rise before he was crowned. Shaqfu could only achieve what was expected of him, He could never exceed. Sad really.