Simons produced 11 points (5-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes during Thursday's 110-104 preseason loss to Denver.

EDGE Analysis

Simons was in the starting lineup Thursday with both Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum resting. He played a whopping 32 minutes but failed to dominate. Simons is going to be the first guard off the bench and while he certainly knows how to score the ball, he is unlikely to have any consistent standard league value. He could be nabbed with a final pick on the off chance he is on the floor a little more than we expect.

Simons produced 13 points (5-11 FG, 3-4 3Pt), three rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes during Saturday's 134-118 preseason loss to the Suns

EDGE Analysis

Simons continues to show out, scoring another 13 points in Saturday's loss to the Suns. He is basically locked in as the first guard off the bench giving him a chance of having limited value right out of the gate. Points are the hardest category to find late in drafts which does give him some upside. If he can find his way to 20 minutes per night, Simons makes for an interesting late-round addition.

Simons finished with 22 points (8-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 30 minutes during Thursday's 104-68 preseason victory over Maccabi.

EDGE Analysis

Simons had his foot on the gas Thursday leading all scorers with 22 points in 30 minutes. The game was a blowout and so managers shouldn't read too much into this. The Trail Blazers were also resting three of their starters which meant more playing time for guys such as Simons. With that being said, there is a decent chance Simons is going to be the first guard off the bench and he is obviously not afraid to shoot the ball.

Simons compiled 10 points (3-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes during Tuesday's 105-94 preseason loss to Denver.

EDGE Analysis

Simons scored 10 points Tuesday but took 11 shot attempts to get there. Simons finished last season with a bang and comes into the 2019-20 campaign poised to be the primary backup behind Damian Lillard. If he can carve out 20 minutes per game, he could be a nice source of points late in drafts.

The Trail Blazers exercised Simons' $2.25 million team option for 2020-21 on Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Portland essentially redshirted Simons during his rookie campaign, but the 20-year-old put his potential on display in the regular-season finale April 10 when coach Terry Stotts rested several key players. Simons erupted for 37 points, nine assists and six rebounds in 48 minutes, a performance that likely played a major factor in the team eschewing adding established depth behind point guard Damian Lillard in free agency this offseason. Expect Simons to serve as Lillard's top backup in 2019-20 and potentially act as a go-to scorer for the second unit.

A Trail Blazers executive said the team did not make Simons available in potential trades this summer, RealGM reports. "There was a reason we told teams to stop asking about him in trades," the executive said. "You want to see second-year guys dominate here (Summer League) and he did that. He's been one of the best players here. The kid just works."

EDGE Analysis

Obviously, the Blazers have a vested interest in propping up Simons' value, but the second-year guard looked impressive in Las Vegas, and the hype continues to build, despite the fact that Simons played in only 20 NBA games as a rookie. The 6-4 guard, who turned 20 last month, will likely play a more integral role in Year 2, but with a veteran backcourt in place, it's unclear just how much opportunity he'll be afforded on a night-to-night basis. Chances are, Simons will open the season as the backup to Damian Lillard, though it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to vault him into fantasy relevancy in traditional fantasy formats. "Last year he was so young and in over his head, but he was never scared," the executive said. "That matters. The best part is that he fits with Dame (Lillard) or C.J. (McCollum) or both at the same time. We're fortunate to have him."

Simons suffered a Grade 1 right ankle sprain during Tuesday's summer league loss to the Jazz, Peter Socotch of NBC Sports Northwest reports. He finished the game with 35 points (13-18 FG, 6-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two steals across 30 minutes.

EDGE Analysis

Simons already had X-rays come back negative, so he appears to have avoided a more serious ankle injury. The 20-year-old has no official timetable for his return, but the team is likely to remain cautious with their 2018 first-round pick.

Simons registered 16 points (6-11 FG, 4-6 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists across 25 minutes during the Trail Blazers' 97-87 win over the Rockets in a Las Vegas Summer League game Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

The 2018 first-round pick put together a solid outing while tying Gary Trent, Jr. for the team lead in minutes. Simons is off to a solid start in Las Vegas, averaging 15.5 points (on 44.0 percent shooting), 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 24.5 minutes. Simons is poised for a boost in the 7.1 minutes he averaged during his rookie campaign, and he'll look to continue gaining valuable seasoning during the balance of his time in the desert.

Simons totaled 37 points (13-21 FG, 7-11 3Pt, 4-6 FT), nine assists, six rebounds and one steal across 48 minutes in the Trail Blazers' 136-131 win over the Kings on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

Simons was one of three Blazers first-unit players to go the distance in the contest, and his pinpoint three-point accuracy helped lead a momentous comeback from 28 points down. The rookie only saw a double-digit minutes load once all season prior to playing the entire game against the Kings, but Wednesday's stirring performance certainly hints at better things to come in the future. Despite the spectacular numbers in the finale, it seems likely Simons will be left out of the first-round rotation.

Simons will start Wednesday's game against the Kings, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.

EDGE Analysis

Simons will start in place of Damian Lillard who's being rested Wednesday. In 19 games, the rookie guard's averaging 2.0 points and 0.4 rebounds in 4.9 minutes.