All in!! Anfernee Simons 2.0

[VFX]

The issue I have with Simons has to do with the rotation of KCP, Suggs, and AB.

Suggs is not coming out of the starting lineup. He's a significant part of the defense.
KCP was just paid. He CAN come off the bench, but he's more of a 2/3 than anything.
AB is a point guard that CAN play 1-3. It isn't ideal though because other players like Tristan and co need minutes elsewhere.

The only way this works is if Simons plays significant minutes at PG, Cole is moved, Gary is moved, Jett never sees minutes, and KCP comes off the bench as a 2/3. You shouldn't bring Simons off the bench for $26m because thats ridiculous.

I dont think this team is missing a volume shooter when everyone is healthy. It is missing someone to get the ball in Paolo/Franz hands for easier shots. Not sure Simons does that better than other alternatives.

[KillMonger]

I'd have no issues with simons, bucket getter that can go off for 25+ any night and can play on or off ball..... 5 to 2.5 turnover ratio not too bad, only thing is defense but you're never really going to get that complete player

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[DusterBuster]

I'd have no issues with simons, bucket getter that can go off for 25+ any night and can play on or off ball..... 5 to 2.5 turnover ratio not too bad, only thing is defense but you're never really going to get that complete player

Sent from my [Hands] using RealGM mobile app

This is always so funny. Every fanbase does it, so not calling out anyone in particular, but they all nitpick players available for trade, when the reality is the dream players who can put up 25 on a given night AND are lockdown defenders are rarely ever available for trade. No team is putting a player of that makeup on the trade block unless there’s some outside pressure from the player asking to be moved. Outside of that, those “dream” players aren’t available.

Going back to my example of how I think Simons can play a Derrick White type role on a good team only to be shut down that “he doesn’t play as good of defense…” and yeah, Derrick White also isn’t on the trade block to be had for another teams spare parts they don’t need lol.

To be fair, Simons may not be either. While I personally would move him to make room for Scoot, there’s zero indication Joe Cronin and the Blazers would do that. In fact, according to tea leaves of those who in the Portland media who are close to the team, it sounds like they’re closer to moving on from Scoot than they are Simons… which I think is bat **** insane given what drafting Scoot meant for the direction of the franchise… but that’s what it is.

[thelead]

the real question for me is how bad is his defense really? I would love a 2-way player but being rated as one of the worst defenders last year is something else. In any event, I would trade one 1st round pick and matching contract players for someone like Simons if nothing better was available.

[KillMonger]

I'd have no issues with simons, bucket getter that can go off for 25+ any night and can play on or off ball..... 5 to 2.5 turnover ratio not too bad, only thing is defense but you're never really going to get that complete player

Sent from my [Hands] using RealGM mobile app

This is always so funny. Every fanbase does it, so not calling out anyone in particular, but they all nitpick players available for trade, when the reality is the dream players who can put up 25 on a given night AND are lockdown defenders are rarely ever available for trade. No team is putting a player of that makeup on the trade block unless there’s some outside pressure from the player asking to be moved. Outside of that, those “dream” players aren’t available.

Going back to my example of how I think Simons can play a Derrick White type role on a good team only to be shut down that “he doesn’t play as good of defense…” and yeah, Derrick White also isn’t on the trade block to be had for another teams spare parts they don’t need lol.

To be fair, Simons may not be either. While I personally would move him to make room for Scoot, there’s zero indication Joe Cronin and the Blazers would do that. In fact, according to tea leaves of those who in the Portland media who are close to the team, it sounds like they’re closer to moving on from Scoot than they are Simons… which I think is bat **** insane given what drafting Scoot meant for the direction of the franchise… but that’s what it is.

Agreed.... Those two way players just aren't out there.... They're valuable for a reason.... I feel we have enough defense, we need to compromise a bit.... That's why I favor simons and Jordan Poole to an extent.... Both those guys can operate on or off ball and be just fine....

that is the only reason why I would give a deaaron fox deal the side eye.... Great player but from my eyes he's pretty ball dominant and I'm not too keen taking the ball out of Paolo and Franz hands right now when they're starting to ascend to all-nba level players

We need a guy that is good enough to take some pressure off of Paolo and Franz but not so much as to disrupt how we play

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[Skybox]

I'd have no issues with simons, bucket getter that can go off for 25+ any night and can play on or off ball..... 5 to 2.5 turnover ratio not too bad, only thing is defense but you're never really going to get that complete player

Sent from my [Hands] using RealGM mobile app

This is always so funny. Every fanbase does it, so not calling out anyone in particular, but they all nitpick players available for trade, when the reality is the dream players who can put up 25 on a given night AND are lockdown defenders are rarely ever available for trade. No team is putting a player of that makeup on the trade block unless there’s some outside pressure from the player asking to be moved. Outside of that, those “dream” players aren’t available.

Going back to my example of how I think Simons can play a Derrick White type role on a good team only to be shut down that “he doesn’t play as good of defense…” and yeah, Derrick White also isn’t on the trade block to be had for another teams spare parts they don’t need lol.

To be fair, Simons may not be either. While I personally would move him to make room for Scoot, there’s zero indication Joe Cronin and the Blazers would do that. In fact, according to tea leaves of those who in the Portland media who are close to the team, it sounds like they’re closer to moving on from Scoot than they are Simons… which I think is bat **** insane given what drafting Scoot meant for the direction of the franchise… but that’s what it is.

Agreed.... Those two way players just aren't out there.... They're valuable for a reason.... I feel we have enough defense, we need to compromise a bit.... That's why I favor simons and Jordan Poole to an extent.... Both those guys can operate on or off ball and be just fine....

that is the only reason why I would give a deaaron fox deal the side eye.... Great player but from my eyes he's pretty ball dominant and I'm not too keen taking the ball out of Paolo and Franz hands right now when they're starting to ascend to all-nba level players

We need a guy that is good enough to take some pressure off of Paolo and Franz but not so much as to disrupt how we play

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I'm out on Poole, despite the offensive skillset...his interviews make me think he's just not that bright. Cam Thomas too...just have a harder time seeing them "getting" the ORL culture and play style. I think Simons, and especially, Sexton are better fits with the gang.

[DusterBuster]

the real question for me is how bad is his defense really? I would love a 2-way player but being rated as one of the worst defenders last year is something else. In any event, I would trade one 1st round pick and matching contract players for someone like Simons if nothing better was available.

Simons is probably not an all-world defender in hiding, but I think he can be competent on the defensive end if on a team with other good defenders around him or a coach who has actual defensive schemes to run.

Simons has spent his whole career playing alongside Lillard, Scoot and Sharpe, none of which are good defensive players. Brogdon was but it was a super short stint and Malcom was injured for the majority of his year in Portland.

So I would say the advanced metrics aren't as bad as they seem, but don't expect a defensive stopper either (the Magic also wouldn't be paying the price it would cost for a 20ppg scorer who's also a defensive stopper... so expectations should be levelset).

[Skybox]

Just some comps for discussion and perspective. Lavine & Beal have absurd contracts - but if not for that, would be considered excellent offensive players. I did last 4 seasons, including this one, for all stats except for games played - which I used last 3 full seasons....

Player /Age Games PPG Assists 3pt apg 3pt % Remaining contract (after this year)

Bradley Beal / 31 47.7 20.6 4.6 4.9 37.2 $111m over 2 years

Zach Lavine / 29 56 23 4.3 7.1 39.3 $95m over 2 years

CJ McCollum / 33 67.7 21.3 4.8 7.9 39.4 $30.7m for one year

Anfernee Simons / 25 55 19.9 4.7 8.4 38 $27.7m for one year

Collin Sexton / 26 45.7 16.7 3.5 3.9 36.6 $19.2m for one year

*Beal & Lavine are not under consideration just based on salary, imo...I think the other 3 are all candidates for a substantial 6th man role for ORL. You can see that Simons' offensive production has been among some pretty strong company and proven over time. He's also the youngest. I think all 3 of the "candidates" would consider re-signing for $20m per or so when their present deals expire and would thrive in roles where their offensive strengths would be applied and their defensive weaknesses would be minimized by pairing next to guys like AB, Suggs & KCP. Any of them would have to subjugate their previous on-ball time with the understanding that Paolo & Franz are numbers 1 & 2 in the offensive pecking order. Suggs would, hopefully, continue to grow as an offensive player, but be slightly relieved of the burden of trying to playmake and score on a level he's just not cut out for. I like Sexton a lot but his offensive efficiency is kind of a recent development, not as proven over time as the younger Simons.

[yoyojw17]

I think it's not whether or not people like him or his defense.... it comes down to how much people want to give up for him. And some people value certain players on our team more highly than others. Like... personally.... the second you drop the names AB and Howard.... i might be stepping back from the trade. If they believe in the players that they drafted and think they drafted correctly... whether or not there have been ups and downs in their short time in the league.... they're holding onto them. If they know what those players are and are over it.... then that's fine. But.... not if they believe there is more to those players. And yup... cost matters. having to string some low salary potential players into the deal shoots us in the foot for the future... as Simons probably won't be retainable after next year when he asks for more than his current $25 million salary.

Wouldn't be surprised if we flop salaries of black and KCP in the next two years.... Howard takes the money of Cole and harris.... etc. But... this all hinges on what the FO projects of them and that supercedes what we might currently value them from the outside.

[DusterBuster]

I think it's not whether or not people like him or his defense.... it comes down to how much people want to give up for him. And some people value certain players on our team more highly than others. Like... personally.... the second you drop the names AB and Howard.... i might be stepping back from the trade. If they believe in the players that they drafted and think they drafted correctly... whether or not there have been ups and downs in their short time in the league.... they're holding onto them. If they know what those players are and are over it.... then that's fine. But.... not if they believe there is more to those players. And yup... cost matters. having to string some low salary potential players into the deal shoots us in the foot for the future... as Simons probably won't be retainable after next year when he asks for more than his current $25 million salary.

Wouldn't be surprised if we flop salaries of black and KCP in the next two years.... Howard takes the money of Cole and harris.... etc. But... this all hinges on what the FO projects of them and that supercedes what we might currently value them from the outside.

Simons hasn't improved enough to command more than his current salary base. He's still a 20-25mil range player, anything over that is nonsense and malpractice for salary cap management.

[RichCollab]

Just some comps for discussion and perspective. Lavine & Beal have absurd contracts - but if not for that, would be considered excellent offensive players. I did last 4 seasons, including this one, for all stats except for games played - which I used last 3 full seasons....

Player /Age Games PPG Assists 3pt apg 3pt % Remaining contract (after this year)

Bradley Beal / 31 47.7 20.6 4.6 4.9 37.2 $111m over 2 years

Zach Lavine / 29 56 23 4.3 7.1 39.3 $95m over 2 years

CJ McCollum / 33 67.7 21.3 4.8 7.9 39.4 $30.7m for one year

Anfernee Simons / 25 55 19.9 4.7 8.4 38 $27.7m for one year

Collin Sexton / 26 45.7 16.7 3.5 3.9 36.6 $19.2m for one year

*Beal & Lavine are not under consideration just based on salary, imo...I think the other 3 are all candidates for a substantial 6th man role for ORL. You can see that Simons' offensive production has been among some pretty strong company and proven over time. He's also the youngest. I think all 3 of the "candidates" would consider re-signing for $20m per or so when their present deals expire and would thrive in roles where their offensive strengths would be applied and their defensive weaknesses would be minimized by pairing next to guys like AB, Suggs & KCP. Any of them would have to subjugate their previous on-ball time with the understanding that Paolo & Franz are numbers 1 & 2 in the offensive pecking order. Suggs would, hopefully, continue to grow as an offensive player, but be slightly relieved of the burden of trying to playmake and score on a level he's just not cut out for. I like Sexton a lot but his offensive efficiency is kind of a recent development, not as proven over time as the younger Simons.

Scoot hasn’t improved this year. Blazers may want Simons longer than expected. I did hear they don’t want to pay him what he is expecting for his next contract.

[OrlChamps2030]

I think it's not whether or not people like him or his defense.... it comes down to how much people want to give up for him. And some people value certain players on our team more highly than others. Like... personally.... the second you drop the names AB and Howard.... i might be stepping back from the trade. If they believe in the players that they drafted and think they drafted correctly... whether or not there have been ups and downs in their short time in the league.... they're holding onto them. If they know what those players are and are over it.... then that's fine. But.... not if they believe there is more to those players. And yup... cost matters. having to string some low salary potential players into the deal shoots us in the foot for the future... as Simons probably won't be retainable after next year when he asks for more than his current $25 million salary.

Wouldn't be surprised if we flop salaries of black and KCP in the next two years.... Howard takes the money of Cole and harris.... etc. But... this all hinges on what the FO projects of them and that supercedes what we might currently value them from the outside.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a single poster in here propose AB in a Simons trade

Infact, you have Portland fans in here essentially suggesting salary dump + a protected first for him

[three3d]

Just some comps for discussion and perspective. Lavine & Beal have absurd contracts - but if not for that, would be considered excellent offensive players. I did last 4 seasons, including this one, for all stats except for games played - which I used last 3 full seasons....

Player /Age Games PPG Assists 3pt apg 3pt % Remaining contract (after this year)

Bradley Beal / 31 47.7 20.6 4.6 4.9 37.2 $111m over 2 years

Zach Lavine / 29 56 23 4.3 7.1 39.3 $95m over 2 years

CJ McCollum / 33 67.7 21.3 4.8 7.9 39.4 $30.7m for one year

Anfernee Simons / 25 55 19.9 4.7 8.4 38 $27.7m for one year

Collin Sexton / 26 45.7 16.7 3.5 3.9 36.6 $19.2m for one year

*Beal & Lavine are not under consideration just based on salary, imo...I think the other 3 are all candidates for a substantial 6th man role for ORL. You can see that Simons' offensive production has been among some pretty strong company and proven over time. He's also the youngest. I think all 3 of the "candidates" would consider re-signing for $20m per or so when their present deals expire and would thrive in roles where their offensive strengths would be applied and their defensive weaknesses would be minimized by pairing next to guys like AB, Suggs & KCP. Any of them would have to subjugate their previous on-ball time with the understanding that Paolo & Franz are numbers 1 & 2 in the offensive pecking order. Suggs would, hopefully, continue to grow as an offensive player, but be slightly relieved of the burden of trying to playmake and score on a level he's just not cut out for. I like Sexton a lot but his offensive efficiency is kind of a recent development, not as proven over time as the younger Simons.

Scoot hasn’t improved this year. Blazers may want Simons longer than expected. I did hear they don’t want to pay him what he is expecting for his next contract.

I look at it like this, if I was doing a job that wasn’t in an ideal situation for me naturally I would want more money to stay in that situation. Now if a better opportunity came up and put me closer to home with a much better role and opportunity of performing for a winning company well yea maybe I’d leave money on the table for that opportunity.

But let’s also not forget taxes on my money. I could go to a state that isn’t going to tax my state income. Meaning naturally I’m actually keeping more of my money I’m currently under contract for. Technically I’ve just received a raise but changing where I work. Maybe when it’s time to sign another contract I like being close to home so much and the fact I’ve got more joy and happiness doing my job and that’s worth more than money to me so I’ll take less money to be happy. Again I’m saving money on taxes so I take a lesser deal that actually winds up paying me the same.

[three3d]

I think it's not whether or not people like him or his defense.... it comes down to how much people want to give up for him. And some people value certain players on our team more highly than others. Like... personally.... the second you drop the names AB and Howard.... i might be stepping back from the trade. If they believe in the players that they drafted and think they drafted correctly... whether or not there have been ups and downs in their short time in the league.... they're holding onto them. If they know what those players are and are over it.... then that's fine. But.... not if they believe there is more to those players. And yup... cost matters. having to string some low salary potential players into the deal shoots us in the foot for the future... as Simons probably won't be retainable after next year when he asks for more than his current $25 million salary.

Wouldn't be surprised if we flop salaries of black and KCP in the next two years.... Howard takes the money of Cole and harris.... etc. But... this all hinges on what the FO projects of them and that supercedes what we might currently value them from the outside.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a single poster in here propose AB in a Simons trade

Infact, you have Portland fans in here essentially suggesting salary dump + a protected first for him

Because Simons only just turned 25 over the Summer I would throw AB into that deal. It’s an unpopular opinion I know but I don’t see AB ever reaching that level of offensive ability. Hard decision are going to have to be made at some point and we’re going to eventually trade someone we don’t want to trade. If AB has the most value and is the least essential piece of the core he has to go. It makes the team better in the long run.

[OrlChamps2030]

The issue I have with Simons has to do with the rotation of KCP, Suggs, and AB.

Suggs is not coming out of the starting lineup. He's a significant part of the defense.
KCP was just paid. He CAN come off the bench, but he's more of a 2/3 than anything.
AB is a point guard that CAN play 1-3. It isn't ideal though because other players like Tristan and co need minutes elsewhere.

The only way this works is if Simons plays significant minutes at PG, Cole is moved, Gary is moved, Jett never sees minutes, and KCP comes off the bench as a 2/3. You shouldn't bring Simons off the bench for $26m because thats ridiculous.

I dont think this team is missing a volume shooter when everyone is healthy. It is missing someone to get the ball in Paolo/Franz hands for easier shots. Not sure Simons does that better than other alternatives.

I agree to an extent, it’s a bit clunky to have 4 guards. But none of our guards play >30mpg and being real, Suggs is a bit injury prone.

I do feel as though Simons synergizes well with our guards. Compared to KCP/Suggs/Black, Simons is the best: scorer, shooter and playmaker while being the worst defender. Honestly, it fits well for a “platoon group”.. go with the hot hand(s).

Between injuries, low MPG for our guards, and Mose’s seemingly shakey confidence in Black I think there would be enough minutes to go around.

26 mill off the bench doesn’t feel that crazy when you factor in how much we are paying Isaac, WCJ, Gary and Cole to be dead weight this season.

[OrlChamps2030]

I think it's not whether or not people like him or his defense.... it comes down to how much people want to give up for him. And some people value certain players on our team more highly than others. Like... personally.... the second you drop the names AB and Howard.... i might be stepping back from the trade. If they believe in the players that they drafted and think they drafted correctly... whether or not there have been ups and downs in their short time in the league.... they're holding onto them. If they know what those players are and are over it.... then that's fine. But.... not if they believe there is more to those players. And yup... cost matters. having to string some low salary potential players into the deal shoots us in the foot for the future... as Simons probably won't be retainable after next year when he asks for more than his current $25 million salary.

Wouldn't be surprised if we flop salaries of black and KCP in the next two years.... Howard takes the money of Cole and harris.... etc. But... this all hinges on what the FO projects of them and that supercedes what we might currently value them from the outside.

I’m not sure I’ve seen a single poster in here propose AB in a Simons trade

Infact, you have Portland fans in here essentially suggesting salary dump + a protected first for him

Because Simons only just turned 25 over the Summer I would throw AB into that deal. It’s an unpopular opinion I know but I don’t see AB ever reaching that level of offensive ability. Hard decision are going to have to be made at some point and we’re going to eventually trade someone we don’t want to trade. If AB has the most value and is the least essential piece of the core he has to go. It makes the team better in the long run.

I’m not as high on AB as some others here but I don’t see him being involved in a deal for a combo guard. This FO has NEVER traded a player on their Rookie Deal.. sending out AB would be a total “sell low” move. He has been playing scared and has went through long stretches where he stops shooting 3’s.

Salary + pick(s) (or MAYBE Jett) should be enough to get a combo guard here

[three3d]

The issue I have with Simons has to do with the rotation of KCP, Suggs, and AB.

Suggs is not coming out of the starting lineup. He's a significant part of the defense.
KCP was just paid. He CAN come off the bench, but he's more of a 2/3 than anything.
AB is a point guard that CAN play 1-3. It isn't ideal though because other players like Tristan and co need minutes elsewhere.

The only way this works is if Simons plays significant minutes at PG, Cole is moved, Gary is moved, Jett never sees minutes, and KCP comes off the bench as a 2/3. You shouldn't bring Simons off the bench for $26m because thats ridiculous.

I dont think this team is missing a volume shooter when everyone is healthy. It is missing someone to get the ball in Paolo/Franz hands for easier shots. Not sure Simons does that better than other alternatives.

I agree to an extent, it’s a bit clunky to have 4 guards. But none of our guards play >30mpg and being real, Suggs is a bit injury prone.

I do feel as though Simons synergizes well with our guards. Compared to KCP/Suggs/Black, Simons is the best: scorer, shooter and playmaker while being the worst defender. Honestly, it fits well for a “platoon group”.. go with the hot hand(s).

Between injuries, low MPG for our guards, and Mose’s seemingly shakey confidence in Black I think there would be enough minutes to go around.

26 mill off the bench doesn’t feel that crazy when you factor in how much we are paying Isaac, WCJ, Gary and Cole to be dead weight this season.

I think it’s really overlooked what a huge benefit Simons would be to guys like Suggs and AB. The same could be said vice versa for Simons.

Who has Suggs and AB been able to daily run up against in practice that has an offensive game like Simons in the guard slot? Who have AB and Suggs been able to learn tricks and trades from playing as a guard?

For Simons, I promise you he hasn’t had the battles in practice Suggs and AB would give him defensively on a daily basis. They learn off each other and if lucky you get some combo of all 3 of them rolled into 1 even if for brief periods in a game. Can you imagine Suggs defense with Simmons offense in ONE player? Maybe we can get it, but at worst we have both them doing what they do best.

[Skybox]

The issue I have with Simons has to do with the rotation of KCP, Suggs, and AB.

Suggs is not coming out of the starting lineup. He's a significant part of the defense.
KCP was just paid. He CAN come off the bench, but he's more of a 2/3 than anything.
AB is a point guard that CAN play 1-3. It isn't ideal though because other players like Tristan and co need minutes elsewhere.

The only way this works is if Simons plays significant minutes at PG, Cole is moved, Gary is moved, Jett never sees minutes, and KCP comes off the bench as a 2/3. You shouldn't bring Simons off the bench for $26m because thats ridiculous.

I dont think this team is missing a volume shooter when everyone is healthy. It is missing someone to get the ball in Paolo/Franz hands for easier shots. Not sure Simons does that better than other alternatives.

I agree to an extent, it’s a bit clunky to have 4 guards. But none of our guards play >30mpg and being real, Suggs is a bit injury prone.

I do feel as though Simons synergizes well with our guards. Compared to KCP/Suggs/Black, Simons is the best: scorer, shooter and playmaker while being the worst defender. Honestly, it fits well for a “platoon group”.. go with the hot hand(s).

Between injuries, low MPG for our guards, and Mose’s seemingly shakey confidence in Black I think there would be enough minutes to go around.

26 mill off the bench doesn’t feel that crazy when you factor in how much we are paying Isaac, WCJ, Gary and Cole to be dead weight this season.

I wouldn’t include AB or da Silva…in fact, I want AB right next to Simons. I think POR takes Cole, filler & a late frp. As far as minutes, AB himself was just talking about Mose’s philosophy (primarily defensively), “bust your ass, then come out”. Our defense comes in waves. Plus KCP & AB are big enough to get minutes at 3…if warranted. There’s room for a guard that can play offense beyond spot up shooting…plus, AB benefits by playing next to a combo guard that can help AB’s own offensive development by spreading the floor, rewarding him for cutting and, especially, finishing AB’s assists.

As far as filler, I think I prefer Jett (and they might too) over Harris because Jett has guaranteed lottery pick money and doesn’t have a guaranteed role. If recent flashes are too compelling, make it Harris. Perhaps this deal, combined with extensions for our own, makes it necessary to decide if dead weight on the roster will need to be addressed…WCJ, Isaac, Moe, Caleb certainly don’t need to be dumped, but maybe at least one should be thinned out and replaced by a rookie or vet min guy in the frontcourt deep bench. They’re all good, but you can’t justify them all- especially with WCJ no longer a bargain on his extension.

[three3d]

Honest question for anyone. What exactly would you pay for a player that had Jalen Suggs defense with Anfernee Simons offensive ability all rolled into one package? If the answer is a lot why wouldn’t you take the alternative of just having Suggs and Simons together in the front court?

[eyriq]

Just some comps for discussion and perspective. Lavine & Beal have absurd contracts - but if not for that, would be considered excellent offensive players. I did last 4 seasons, including this one, for all stats except for games played - which I used last 3 full seasons....

Player /Age Games PPG Assists 3pt apg 3pt % Remaining contract (after this year)

Bradley Beal / 31 47.7 20.6 4.6 4.9 37.2 $111m over 2 years

Zach Lavine / 29 56 23 4.3 7.1 39.3 $95m over 2 years

CJ McCollum / 33 67.7 21.3 4.8 7.9 39.4 $30.7m for one year

Anfernee Simons / 25 55 19.9 4.7 8.4 38 $27.7m for one year

Collin Sexton / 26 45.7 16.7 3.5 3.9 36.6 $19.2m for one year

*Beal & Lavine are not under consideration just based on salary, imo...I think the other 3 are all candidates for a substantial 6th man role for ORL. You can see that Simons' offensive production has been among some pretty strong company and proven over time. He's also the youngest. I think all 3 of the "candidates" would consider re-signing for $20m per or so when their present deals expire and would thrive in roles where their offensive strengths would be applied and their defensive weaknesses would be minimized by pairing next to guys like AB, Suggs & KCP. Any of them would have to subjugate their previous on-ball time with the understanding that Paolo & Franz are numbers 1 & 2 in the offensive pecking order. Suggs would, hopefully, continue to grow as an offensive player, but be slightly relieved of the burden of trying to playmake and score on a level he's just not cut out for. I like Sexton a lot but his offensive efficiency is kind of a recent development, not as proven over time as the younger Simons.

Interesting stuff. Beal and LaVine have all-star pedigree and are paid for it but have consistently fallen short of all-star production. McCollum and Simons are paid like core players but their teams haven't performed well at all. Sexton is paid to be a 4th starter.

All good scorers and offensive threats. All on mid to terrible teams. All overpaid as a percentage of the cap. Given that our guard rotation projects to be Suggs, KCP, and AB, most would struggle to make our 2027 eight man rotation.

That said, we could and probably should kick the tires on Simons or Sexton. There is a risk that extension talks break down and we lose them for nothing, which is why we shouldn't pay much for them. Jett is the in-house option. Sexton would be making around the same salary as our 6th man as he does now, so maybe he can stomach the lost compensation as a % of the cap. Simons would likely need to take a $10M haircut. Is being part of our championship run worth it? He's going to take a pay cut on his next deal either way IMO, he's drastically overpaid.