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One of the biggest names that have been involved in trade rumors during this offseason is Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard. Alongside the Blazers, another team that's been on the cusp of a franchise-shifting move would be the Philadelphia 76ers and their struggling playmaker Ben Simmons who, like Lillard, has been heavily involved in a ton of gossip this summer. Is the stage actually set for these two proud franchises to link up and swap stars?
Here are the three best trades the Sixers can offer for Damian Lillard:
3. Ben Simmons (straight swap)
Simmons had a rough 2020-2021 NBA season (to say the least). Though the superstar was named to his third-straight All-Star nod, the Australian actually struggled for the most part of the season and was ultimately exposed when it came to the 2021 NBA playoffs. This has gotten the rumor mill wildly spinning as fans from across the world pressure the Sixers to move on from their former first overall pick to help superstar Joel Embiid finally go over the hump and be a legitimate title contender. This is the main reason Ben Simmons will be heavily tagged in this article moving forward as it seems that it would be quite impossible to acquire Lillard without letting go of Simmons.
Let's start with a basic trade involving these two All-Stars. Ben Simmons completely changes the narrative in Portland. The arrival of the 6-foot-11 guard almost instantly makes the Blazers a defensive-minded team which they haven't been for quite some time. Pairing Simmons with someone like Robert Covington will be a headache for opposing teams and CJ McCollum will likely be pushed to the team's main gunner with guys like Norman Powell and Jusuf Nurkic expected to step up as well.
At the same time, Lillard's arrival in Philly immediately makes the Sixers a title contender. Though they're losing some youth swapping their 25-year-old point guard to a 31-year-old vet, Lillard paired with Embiid seems like a deadly combination. Having Mattise Thybulle there to make up for Dame's weakness on defense only adds depth to this team and key role players like Tobias Harris and Seth Curry make this new-look Philly squad a championship contender, at least on paper.
But, as ideal as that sounds, any NBA fan would know this might not be quite possible. As much as a straight PG swap would be ideal for the Sixers, that might not be the case for the Blazers who will be losing a ton of shooting in a hypothetical Lillard-Simmons trade. That being said, Philly must put together a sweet multi-player package and possibly include future picks to try and actually get Damian Lillard.
2. Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris
If the Blazers aren't happy with a straight swap, one potential offer the Sixers can make is packaging Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris.
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Adding someone like Tobias Harris into the mix definitely makes things interesting for both squads. Harris brings in a ton of offensive firepower which should make up for Simmons' lack of offense. This deal would potentially form quite a unit for the Blazers with Simmons, McCollum, Covington, Harris, and Nurkic. Portland may even opt to go with a more offensive-minded line-up and swap Norman Powell for Covington which should work perfectly as well.
For the Sixers, well, they get Dame. Although they'll lose both Simmons and Harris in this scenario, the potential of pairing Lillard and Embiid (as mentioned earlier) is really huge. Embiid, 27, is not getting any younger and the Eastern Conference seems to get tougher and tougher every season so the window to win and compete for an ECF crown only gets slimmer and slimmer as the years go by. A line-up of Lillard, Thybulle, Danny Green, and Embiid could be tough and it will be up to Doc Rivers on who he feels would fit as their power forward. Also, don't forget that the Sixers did land a backup center in Andre Drummond which only makes the team way better.
1. Ben Simmons, Matise Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey
The most realistic scenario for Lillard to be on his way to the City of Brotherly Love would be to send Portland an array of stars as well as future picks. Let's be real here – the only way the Blazers will let their superstar go is for them to acquire a ton of new talent in exchange for Lillard. And this final package might be the one.
Based on what we've seen as of late, the Sixers are quite keen on acquiring Lillard this offseason. And, given on how bullish they are on changing their franchise this summer, they might have to bite the bullet and build a package involving Ben Simmons, Mattise Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, and even more future picks (h/t to Bleacher Report).
The Blazers losing Lillard almost automatically requires a complete revamp in Portland. If the Sixers get the Blazers to agree with this last deal, then that's exactly what they're getting. Adding a trio of Simmons, Thybulle, and Maxey not only makes this team way younger but, way more defensive. Thybulle and Maxey are bringing a ton of upside to Portland and whether they decide to start these guys or have them come off the bench, their impact on the team, especially defensively, will be huge.
As much as it would pain Portland fans to let their superstar go, a reasonable deal such as this might be too good to pass. Though Sixers fans might think they're giving up way too much to acquire Damian Lillard, they might be pleasantly surprised at how win-win this last scenario is once the superstar taps his wrist and brings ‘Dame Time' to Philly.
