The Spurs were just gifted the perfect trade target from the rebuilding Blazers
By Cal Durrett
The San Antonio Spurs' off-season seems all but over; however, a new report may force them to make one last move to further improve their roster. They have already made a couple of big moves this summer and although the Spurs added future Hall of Famer Chris Paul, he may only play one more season before retiring.
That would force the Spurs back to the drawing board, but they may have another option thanks to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers are reportedly shopping their starting point guard, Anfernee Simons, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, and Simons is one of the better offensive guards in the NBA.
Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 20 points per game, largely thanks to his elite outside shooting, drilling 38.8 of his 8.8 attempts per game during that span. Factor in that he had a career season last year passing the ball, averaging 5.5 assists and he would seemingly be a great fit with the Spurs given some of their questionable shooting.
After all, San Antonio ranked 28th in three-point shooting percentage last year and while they did add shooting with Paul and Harrison Barnes, they still have several questionable shooters.
What do the Spurs have to get up to acquire Anfernee Simons from the Portland Trail Blazers?
While Simon's might have value around the league given his shooting and improved passing, few teams actually need a starting point guard. That would likely limit his value, with only the Orlando Magic and the Spurs seemingly making sense as potential trade partners.
The most likely trade candidate is Keldon Johnson, who doesn't make as much sense on the Spurs with the sudden depth on the wing with Barnes, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, and Malaki Branham. He might also make more sense to the Blazers, with them probably wanting to put the ball in the hands of Scoot Henderson more and they could use another wing. Add in Chicago's top-10 protected first and that might be enough for the Blazers to part with Simons.
With training camp just two months away, Spurs fans might not have to wait long to find out if they are going to trade for Simons. If they do, then it could prove to be the perfect capper for an impressive off-season for the Spurs.