Could the young Blazers guard be the missing piece for the Orlando Magic?

It's not always easy to find the missing pieces of a team, the players who will make everything come together and make sense. The Boston Celtics just did it, building one of the strongest and most consistent teams in the league, and won a championship because of it.

With the season officially over, many teams are preparing for a future championship. For many, the key is finding the missing piece(s). Fittingly, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor put together a list of “10 Players Who Could Complement a Contender.”

The Magic just played their first playoff series with this young core, but they look poised to be a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come. However, they are still looking for a few pieces to complete the team. O'Connor listed one of the Portland Trail Blazers' young guards as one of the missing pieces.

Anfernee Simons has long been a favorite trade target for Magic fans. After all, he grew up in Orlando and was named after Magic legend Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. It would be a healthy homecoming if Simons could rejoin the Magic.

But there is much more. The Magic need an offensive boost, and Simons could provide it. He averaged over 20 points per game two seasons in a row, playing for the struggling Trail Blazers. Simons could provide the Magic with another scoring option and someone who can space the floor. The 25-year-old guard is shooting 38.6 percent from three in his career.

At the same time, he can be more than just a scorer. Averaging 5.5 assists per game, Simons showed flashes of being a capable playmaker last season.

On the other hand, Simons is rather small and is not a great defender. This doesn't fit the type of player the Magic usually caters to.

But it might be worth it. Simons seems like the type of player who could transform the Magic's offense and help the team get to the next level.

“Simons would be surrounded by long teammates to protect him on defense, and on offense, he would be faced with talented and big creators like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, with whom he could develop great chemistry,” writes O’Connor to summarize . potential fit in Orlando.

While it seems like the Magic are still a long way from being a true contender, the idea of ​​adding Simons to that core is intriguing.