The Portland Trail Blazers have made some key decisions about their core in the past couple of years. It all started when they traded C.J. McCollum. Following that, Blazers GM Joe Cronin traded Damian Lillard last offseason. Anfernee Simons is the last remaining member of the 2019 roster that made it to the Western Conference Finals, but his time in Portland could end soon.
After the first day of the NBA Draft, Blazers GM Joe Cronin held a press conference to talk about the Blazers drafting Donovan Clingan.
Now, that’s not a true indication that Portland intends to move Anfernee Simons. But, the fact that Cronin didn’t mention Simons’s name is a little concerning.
“We’ve got to continue to build this talent base,” Joe Cronin said. “We’re committed to Scoot and Shaedon being a massive part of what we’re doing. How do we find ways to give them the support they need and make them better and maximize their development?”
Simons will be entering year three of a four-year, $100 million contract. He’s also mentioned that he wants to win soon. So it’s conceivable that Cronin would want to move him to open up some more playing time. It’s clear that the Blazers are still in a rebuild. After selecting Clingan, they could look to build around Henderson, Sharpe and Clingan. There was already some speculation the Blazers would move either Jerami Grant or DeAndre Ayton prior to the season.
The latter may not be as likely because Cronin still spoke highly of him. It will be interesting to see if Simons is moved at some point this summer, as he is a talented player who could help a team that wants to win now.
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