Just A Thought: Lillard May End Up In Philly

[Ed Monix]

Obviously there has been the rumour of Daryl Morey, negotiationing with Stevens, for Ben Simmons... but if I'm looking correctly at the current NBA landscape and the fact that Portland look in no way a contender, perhaps it is inevitable that Damian Lillard will be traded to Philadelphia for Simmons.

If you look for the correlation of teams that would want Lillard and have the right assets to offer Portland, there is only one options in my eyes...the 76ers.

This may have all been game of cat and mouse for Morey, especially considering that the best way to improve the Trail Blazers and keep Lilliard happy, would be moving CJ McCollum for...Ben Simmons.

[Birdman]

I alway said it be Portland or Sacramento for Simmons..doubt 76ers want to trade him to an Eastern team

[Ed Monix]

I alway said it be Portland or Sacramento for Simmons..doubt 76ers want to trade him to an Eastern team

Spot on, I'm with you.

I think if Portland pushed, they could get multiple future 1st's, Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey (both Klutch guys) to agree to send Lillard to Philly. That's a decent starting point in a rebuild.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

I alway said it be Portland or Sacramento for Simmons..doubt 76ers want to trade him to an Eastern team

Spot on, I'm with you.

I think if Portland pushed, they could get multiple future 1st's, Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey (both Klutch guys) to agree to send Lillard to Philly. That's a decent starting point in a rebuild.

If he wants to get paid to not ball, why not ship him to Houston for John Wall?

[Celtics4ever]

SAC and PORT have a much better return for the Sixers as I see it.   I can't imagine CBS wants to trade Brown.

[Moranis]

Portland would have to really be sold on Simmons because McCollum can leave soon, and if he leaves, Portland would have Simmons and not much else.  Much like Houston went the draft pick route with Harden, I could totally see Portland thinking that is the better option for Lillard and then they can just sell off McCollum, Covington, Nurkic, etc. and just go full on rebuild.

[RodyTur10]

Portland should be a really good playoff team. They should not break it up.

Lillard - (Simons) - McCollum - Powell - Covington - (Little) - (Nance) - Nurkic - (Zeller) is a very nice rotation.

[Vermont Green]

Portland would have to really be sold on Simmons because McCollum can leave soon, and if he leaves, Portland would have Simmons and not much else.  Much like Houston went the draft pick route with Harden, I could totally see Portland thinking that is the better option for Lillard and then they can just sell off McCollum, Covington, Nurkic, etc. and just go full on rebuild.

McCollum is signed through the end of 2024 per Spotrac.  Same for Lillard but he has a player option for 2024-25.  They have both of these guys locked up for this season plus two more.

I think Philly would be thrilled to get Lillard for Simmons and Maxey or McCollum for just Simmons but I don't see Portland doing this (blowing it up), at least not this season and probably not next either.  Simmons is not going to make them better even in the best case and in the worst case, considerably worse.