Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard is one of the superstars that the Philadelphia 76ers are closely monitoring on the trade market. Lillard may have said on numerous occasions that he’s not leaving Portland but if he finally realizes that they don’t have a clear path to title contention in the 2021-22 NBA season, most people believe that he would demand a trade from the Trail Blazers before the 2022 NBA trade deadline.
Once he becomes officially available on the trading block, the Sixers are expected to do everything they can to bring Lillard to the City of Brotherly Love this season.
Damian Lillard For Ben Simmons Trade
In the potential deal that would bring Lillard to Philadelphia, the Sixers are expected to use Ben Simmons as their main trade chip. Though they are currently fixing their relationship with him, the Sixers are still listening to offers from teams that want to get Simmons’ service. Simmons would be a great addition to the Trail Blazers should they decide to undergo a full-scale rebuild in the post-Lillard era.
However, the Trail Blazers are highly unlikely to agree to a one-for-one deal involving Simmons and Lillard. To convince them to engage in a blockbuster deal, Kenneth Teape of NBA Analysis Network believes that the Sixers would also have to include Tyrese Maxey and two future first-round picks in the trade package.
Damian Lillard Worth It
Trading a young and promising player like Maxey would definitely be a tough decision for the Sixers, but it would be worth it if it means acquiring a player of Lillard’s caliber. Lillard would give the Sixers the ideal superstar that they need to pair with the face of the franchise, Joel Embiid.
Lillard would immediately fill the void left by Simmons at the starting point guard position, giving them an incredible playmaker who is capable of knocking down shots from beyond the arc. Sharing the floor with an elite three-point shooter would allow Embiid to focus more on dominating under the basket.
Lillard Elevates Sixers' Status
The successful acquisition of Lillard before the 2022 NBA trade deadline would change the Sixers’ fate in the 2021-22 NBA season. From just being a regular playoff team, adding Lillard to the core of Embiid, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry, and Danny Green would put the Sixers in the same conversation as Eastern Conference powerhouse teams like the reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks and the star-studded Brooklyn Nets.
It would still take time for Lillard to familiarize himself with the Sixers’ system but once he builds chemistry with their core players, they could become unstoppable on the offensive end of the floor this season.
Rebuild Around Ben Simmons
Meanwhile, by agreeing to trade Lillard to the Sixers, the Trail Blazers would be acquiring the new centerpiece of the next title-contending team that they will try to build in Portland. Simmons may have gone through plenty of ups and downs last season, but no one can deny his potential to become a legitimate superstar in the league. Also, compared to all the young players on the Trail Blazers roster, Simmons is more capable of leading a team.
Aside from Simmons, the Trail Blazers would also be getting another potential franchise cornerstone in Maxey and two future first-round picks that they could use to add more young and promising talents to their roster.
]]>The Inquisitr
