The Portland Trail Blazers are better post-NBA trade deadline

The Portland Trail Blazers are better post-NBA trade deadline: The future

All that talk about versatility and still no mention of the best asset the Portland Trail Blazers have on their entire roster – Anfernee Simons.

Since the start of 2022, Simons has been averaging 23.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from behind the three-point line. (And that’s on 10.6 threes per game!)

With every passing day, Simons is looking more and more like the future of the Blazers’ franchise. Building around Lillard may be what they want to do, but is it what they should do?

In all seriousness, Portland is playing some of the best basketball they’ve played all year and it’s coming at a time where most people expected them to be the worst team in the league?

They have young, hungry players who are giving it their all every single night. Shouldn’t that be a sign to knock it down and hit the reset button?

With the way they’ve been playing, starting over around a core of Simons, Josh Hart, Justice Winslow (yes, seriously), Nassir Little, and a top-ten pick in the 2022 NBA Draft sounds like an ideal situation.

Plus, they would also have all the assets they’d be getting back in a Lillard trade. That just sounds way too good to be true, especially considering how great they look right now.

So while it’s unlikely the Blazers continue to play this well, their energy out there is infectious right now. If there were ever a time to rebuild and start fresh, it would be now, because Portland is looking good.