NBA Trade Rumors: Blazers' Rivals Monitoring 'the Growth of' Anfernee Simons

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons could be an interesting trade target ahead of the March 25 NBA deadline.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, teams are "continuing to monitor the growth of" Simons in his third season. 

The 21-year-old is averaging 8.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 17.6 minutes per game off the bench this season.

Simons had a slow start to his NBA career after being drafted No. 24 overall in 2018 straight out of high school. His talent was still apparent, as he was the No. 8 recruit in the class, per 247Sports, ahead of fellow guards like Darius Garland and Coby White.

After limited playing time as a rookie, Simons became a regular part of the rotation in 2019-20 while averaging 8.3 points per contest. He appeared in four playoff games in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers, tallying 13 points, five rebounds and four steals in the decisive Game 5 that ended the Blazers' postseason.

The guard has continued to improve in 2020-21, averaging 18.2 points per 36 minutes while knocking down a career-high 41.2 percent from three-point range.

There is unfortunately a limited path to more playing time in Portland, with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum taking the majority of minutes in the backcourt when healthy. Gary Trent Jr. has emerged as a weapon offensively, while Derrick Jones Jr. takes away playing time as well.

Simons remains under team control through the 2021-22 season, but a rival squad could acquire the high-upside player for cheap before giving him the opportunity to explode in a new location. With just a $2.3 million salary this year and $3.9 million next season, he should at least be able to outperform his current contract.