The Los Angeles Lakers improved to a 14-12 record after their most recent 116-110 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night, a contest where the Lakers’ five-time All-NBA selection Anthony Davis poured in 40 points and notched 16 rebounds.
Davis’ incredible night led the Lakers to a win, but the franchise’s placement as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference is surely frightening with both Davis and LeBron James playing wonderfully to begin the season.
One of the biggest issues this team has faced regards their inability to receive production from anywhere outside of James, Davis or the occasional offensive outburst from their No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Dalton Knecht.
This is especially apparent for their point guard depth, as the drastic regression of both D’Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent has persisted.
To remedy this situation and gain some positive production from the team’s lead guards, the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka could try to acquire a gifted one-on-one scoring threat from all areas of the court from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Anfernee Simons was selected by Portland with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and he’s since blossomed into an effective scorer with deep range from behind the three-point line. This season, recently proposed trades have Simons landing with Los Angeles in exchange for struggling veterans and future draft capital.
“Adding Anfernee Simons to the roster would give the Lakers a young, electrifying scorer who can complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis,” wrote Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar on Tuesday morning.
“Simons is also just 25 years old, making him a piece the Lakers can build around for the future.”
Bitar’s proposed transaction sends Simons to the Lakers in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and a future first-round pick, a perfect arrangement of financial assets and draft compensation that would surely tempt Portland’s front office.
Simons contributed a career-best scoring percentage for Portland last season in just 46 appearances, averaging 22.6 points and 5.5 assists on a respectable 56.8% true shooting percentage. His 38.5% accuracy on 8.8 attempts from distance also proved he could be efficient on a higher shot volume.
Though his figures this season have taken a slight dip, this could be attributed to his lessened playing time and shot attempts as Portland could be working on a deal to ship Simons to a contender.
The acquisition of Simons to Los Angeles gives James and Davis a crafty shot-maker who can create space with an endless arsenal of hesitations, quick crossovers and slithery finishing moves at the rim.
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