Blazers Have Massive Trade Chip to Use This Offseason

The Portland Trail Blazers find themselves in a very interesting spot as it pertains to young guard Anfernee Simons.

The soon-to-be 26-year-old is approaching the final year of a 4-year/$100 million contract he signed with the Blazers a few years ago. There are questions as to whether Portland will commit heavy money to keep him in the fold.

Fellow point guard Scoot Henderson finally showed some real promise for a longer stretch of the season this past year. There are some who contend that Henderson may be more of a true facilitator as opposed to Simons, who's very much a combo guard.

Alongside both players is Shaedon Sharpe — most probably the youngest Blazer on the team with All-Star upside. Sharpe and Simons could be a very dynamic pairing for years to come, though there's also a thought that Sharpe could benefit further from playing alongside a pass-first player.

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Longtime writer Aaron Fentress of OregonLive went into a deep dive on the young guard. Fentress broke down the postivies Simons brings to the table. He also delved into his possible future — and if it makes sense for the Blazers to keep him. Either way, it appears as if he'd have some real interest from other teams.

"Solid. [Anfernee] Simons’ track record overrides his somewhat down season. He is quick, fast, explosive and can score from all levels. Is he a starter on a contender? Tough to say. But at the very least, Simons would provide any team with instant offense off the bench with the ability to play both guard positions and start when needed."