Trail Blazers Reacts Results: Trade Anfernee Simons or Shaedon Sharpe?

The Portland Trail Blazers have a decision to make this offseason.

In all likelihood, in order to improve the team significantly, either Shaedon Sharpe or Anfernee Simons will need to be traded. It’s a difficult question to ask, so we took it to a vote among Blazers fans.

The Blazers faithful and NBA supporters alike voted that Simons should be traded over Sharpe.

An overwhelming 95 percent of voters deemed Simons to have more trade value in exchange for a key defensive piece. Only five percent thought that Sharpe should be on his way come summer.

Simons has the advantage in the statistical department. His 21.1 points and 4.1 assists per game make him a viable scoring and playmaking option on any contending team.

Further, his 37.7 percent three-point shooting and 89.4 percent from the free throw line have made him one of the most efficient bucket-getters in the entire NBA.

Meanwhile, Sharpe had expected rookie woes early in the year before blossoming down the stretch. While he only averaged 9.9 points in 2023, he did close out the season averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists with a 37.8 percent three-point shooting clip on 8.2 attempts in his last 10 games.

Fringe playoff teams, as well as borderline contenders with needed scoring punch could certainly use Simons’ offensive punch.

Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets don’t work, and Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard has needed a tall, defensive oriented playmaker for years now. Therefore a deal involving Simmons and Simons could have legs.

Trey Murphy III could be eyeing an elevated role in his career away from the New Orleans Pelicans. And as for help at center, Simons could be dealt for big men such as Christian Wood (Dallas Mavericks), Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls), Clint Cappela (Atlanta Hawks) and Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers).

Lastly, Portland could even package Simons and Nurkic along with whichever pick they win in the lottery to move up to No. 1 and potentially take French phenom Victor Wembanyama.

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