3 Raptors trade targets on rebuilding Western Conference teams

1. Anfernee Simons, SG/PG, Portland Trail Blazers

Unrealistic? Perhaps. Impossible? Not really! Even if there is a sliver of a chance that OG Anunoby gets traded this offseason, Toronto will likely insist on a standout young player coming back the other way. While he took some time to blossom, Simons has become the perfect restricted free agent sign-and-trade target.

With Damian Lillard on the bench for large chunks of the season, Simons averaged 17.3 points and 3.9 assists per game on 44/40/89 shooing splits. Simons might be a better player in the next few seasons when compared against Trent due to his ability to handle the ball and distribute.

Anfernee Simons would be a dream for the Toronto Raptors.

Simons is still a work in progress on defense, as his breakout year could suggest that his gaudy stats were the result of playing without Lillard rather than a tangible step in the right direction. He’s a fantastic player, but Simons is not without risks.

A sign-and-trade deal that lands the restricted free agent in Toronto would give the Raptors a bench scorer that can provide solid shooting for years to come in addition to some very valuable draft assets from the Blazers. Losing Anunoby would be tough, but Simons could ease the blow.