The Los Angeles Lakers have played a dangerous game during the 2024 NBA offseason. While Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James are in Paris competing in the Olympics, Los Angeles is back home hoping that its greatest asset will be its patience.
That patience could pay off sooner than expected, as the perfect trade target has presented itself—and, after a silent offseason, a move could be imminent.
The Lakers were linked to a seemingly endless list of big names in free agency, including James Harden, Chris Paul, and Klay Thompson. The more likely outcome was always going to be a trade, however, and the ideal opportunity has finally arrived.
During a recent appearance on The Drive Guys on Sactown Sports 1140, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian stated that the Portland Trail Blazers are aiming to trade either Jerami Grant or Anfernee Simons before the start of training camp.
"I would be surprised if Jerami [Grant] or Anfernee Simons, if one of the two is not moved. I was told that's definitely the goal, that one of the two will probably be gone before training camp."
Fentress continued:
"I predict both of them will be gone by next summer. It just depends on when it happens."
In other words, there's a genuinely strong possibility that either Grant or Simons will be traded within the next month—and Simons would be the perfect player for the Lakers to pursue.
Anfernee Simons is the perfect D'Angelo Russell replacement.
Los Angeles is in the process of shopping point guard D'Angelo Russell. It speaks to the franchise's desire to improve its quality of play in the backcourt, with an eye on finding a more reliable and consistent option from a scoring perspective.
Simons certainly fits the bill as one of the most productive guards in the NBA, with an elite jump shot, three-level scoring ability, and vastly improved playmaking skills.
This past season, Simons set career-best marks with averages of 22.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game. He also buried 3.4 three-point field goals per contest, shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc and 91.6 percent on his 3.9 free throw attempts per outing.
Simons also buried an elite 42.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-point field goals and shot 42.3 percent on three-point field goals when he held the ball for two or fewer seconds.
That combination of elite shooting and improved facilitating fits perfectly within what's been defined as the type of offense JJ Redick hopes to run. Redick, entering his first season with the Lakers, is hoping to empower multiple playmakers at any given time and encourage the team to shoot more threes.
Throw in the fact that Simons shot 49.0 percent on drives in 2023-24, and a system that enables him to work without the ball, attack the basket, and distribute without necessarily running the offense is a perfect fit.
Untapped Potential
The questions surrounding this trade are simple: Can Simons become anything resembling a consistent defender and why exactly are the Trail Blazers eager to move on? Both of those questions can be answered with two words: Untapped potential.
Simons has yet to show what he's capable of on defense, but there's reason to believe the best has yet to come—much as Portland sees its success beyond his purview.
Portland has effectively hit the reset button by investing top-10 draft picks in guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. If the plan is to build around that duo, then moving Simons would be justified by the creation of additional playing time for two franchise cornerstones.
Simons is better than both at the moment, but for a rebuilding Portland side, that only means it would be difficult to justify benching him just as he begins to enter his prime—making a trade a more desirable outcome.
As for Simons' subpar defense, there's reason to believe he has unexplored potential on that end of the floor. He's a bit undersized at 6'3" and 193 pounds, but he also boasts a 6'9.25" wingspan that can be put to use in the right defensive system—and Davis and James are the perfect veterans to hold him accountable.
If the Lakers believe they can get buy-in on the defensive end of the floor, then investing in Simons' All-Star potential would be a brilliant decision.
Team-Friendly Contract
One of the primary reasons to be intrigued by what Simons brings to the table is his contract. While a player such as Trae Young projects to provide better short-term value, he's also owed $43,031,940 in 2024-25 and would have Los Angeles perpetually on the cusp of the second apron.
Simons, meanwhile, is owed $53,571,428 over the next two seasons combined—making him easier to acquire and perfect for James' current contract window.
Simons is due $25,892,857 for the 2024-25 season, meaning the Lakers could potentially acquire him by only giving up one of its core pieces. Multiple first-round draft picks would likely be sent out, but being able to keep one of Rui Hachimura or Austin Reaves would be a dream scenario compared to losing both plus draft compensation for a player like Young.
Jerami Grant continues to make the most headlines in Portland and even Los Angeles, but with all of this considered, it's Simons who represents the best path forward as the Lakers hope to maximize Davis and James' championship window.