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The Portland Trail Blazers have decided to lock up one of their own, as guard Anfernee Simons has agreed to a nine-figure deal to remain in the Pacific Northwest.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons has agreed on a four-year, $100 million contract extension, his agent Bill Duffy of @BDA_Sports + WME Sports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
The fourth-year pro out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida averaged 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 57 games last season while shooting 40.5% from three-point range.
Simons is a versatile scorer, and started 30 games in Portland this season despite having just turned 23 this month. He’s also one of the best free throw shooters in the league, knocking down 88.8% of his shots from the charity stripe in 2021-22.
Simons was the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and will remain with the club that picked him. The Blazers and head coach Chauncey Billups will likely want Simons to improve on the other end of the floor, as he’s been good for just 0.4 defensive win shares in his career, and rated at -0.1 defensively last season.