Trail Blazers Swap Key Playmakers and Draft Picks in Mock Trade

With June just around the corner, NBA teams will begin ramping up trade talks and finalizing their strategies for the draft and free agency.

While the Charlotte Hornets aren’t anticipated to make any blockbuster moves, they might pull off one or two subtle transactions. In this context, we’ve put together a mock trade scenario involving the Hornets and the Portland Trail Blazers.

One could argue that Portland edges out slightly in this deal, but the Hornets position themselves for a more promising future by leaning into a three-guard lineup rather than forcing Brandon Miller into the shooting guard role and playing undersized with Miles Bridges at power forward. Acquiring Anfernee Simons gives Charlotte flexibility—they can still select the best available guard with the No. 4 pick, trade down, or flip the pick for a veteran forward. This approach also lessens the pressure of relying on an immediate impact from a rookie.

Why the Blazers make the trade:

Toumani Camara showed promise as a rookie, but it’s uncertain whether he’s the long-term solution on the wing. In this deal, Bridges slides into the small forward spot, a more natural role for him, and adds a scoring boost to Portland’s offense. While parting with Simons is a loss, the Blazers can look to this draft’s deep guard class for a replacement. On top of that, an early second-round pick gives them additional value in a talent-rich year.