Magic Interest in Blazers Guard Reaffirmed

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons continues to simmer on the NBA Trade Rumors list as the Summer of 2025 unfolds. In his latest substack [subscription required], NBA commentator Marc Stein reaffirms the potential attraction between the Orlando Magic and Portland’s scoring guard.

After citing disappointment from the Magic regarding last summer’s high-profile guard signing—former Denver Nuggets champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope—Stein suggests that Simons could cure the ache in Orlando’s backcourt.

When Damian Lillard was on the trade block before the 2023-24 season, league sources say that more than a few rival teams—as well as Lillard’s camp—wondered whether Orlando would be joining the trade pursuit for him.

As a new offseason beckons, another Trail Blazer has been increasingly projected as an Orlando target: Lillard’s former Blazers backcourt mate Anfernee Simons. The 25-year-old is an Orlando native who would certainly blend in nicely from a timeline perspective alongside [Paolo] Banchero (22) and [Franz] Wagner (23).

Simons averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists in 32.7 minutes per game over 70 appearances for the Blazers this summer. He has one year remaining on his contract at $27.7 million. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the Summer of 2026.