Days before the 2021-22 NBA season officially begins, rumors still continue to swirl around All-Star point guard Ben Simmons and his future with the Philadelphia 76ers. Though it remains unknown if a deal would happen before the regular season starts, most people believe that Simmons’ departure from the City of Brotherly Love is inevitable.
Since the 2021 offseason, several crazy trade ideas featuring Simmons have surfaced on the internet. Recently, the former No. 1 pick was mentioned in a five-team blockbuster that would send him to the Portland Trail Blazers.
How The Sixers Could Turn Ben Simmons Into Two Superstars
In a recent article, Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report came up with a hypothetical five-team blockbuster trade idea that would allow the Sixers to magically turn Simmons into Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal.
In the proposed trade scenario, the Sixers would get Lillard and Beal, the Brooklyn Nets would receive De’Aaron Fox, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and a second-rounder, the Trail Blazers would obtain Ben Simmons, Harrison Barnes, Seth Curry, a first-rounder, and a pick swap, the Wizards would acquire CJ McCollum, Buddy Hield, Tyrese Maxey, and two first-rounders, and the Sacramento Kings would land Kyrie Irving, Tobias Harris, Nassir Little, a first-rounder, and a second-rounder.
Proposed Five-Team Deal A No-Brainer For Sixers
Though it would cost them three starters and multiple future draft assets, the proposed five-team blockbuster trade should be a no-brainer for the Sixers, especially if they are serious about maximizing the championship window of Joel Embiid. By giving up all those assets, the Sixers would finally put an end to the drama involving Simmons, while acquiring their top two targets on the trade market.
The successful acquisition of Lillard and Beal would enable the Sixers to create a formidable "Big Three" that could beat any powerhouse team in a best-of-seven series.
Ben Simmons Gets His Own Team
The suggested deal would be worth exploring for the Trail Blazers if they finally realize that the tandem of Lillard and McCollum isn’t the key to ending their decades of title drought. Simmons may still have plenty of flaws in his game, but no one can deny his huge superstar potential. If they decide to take a different route, the Sixers could make Simmons the centerpiece of the next title-contending team that they will try to build in the post-Lillard era.
"The most important (and often most difficult) step in any rebuild is finding the cornerstone-level talent. Simmons, even with his aversion to jump shots, fits the bill," Bailey wrote.
Ben Simmons No Longer Welcome In Philadelphia
While Embiid and the Sixers are still making strong efforts to fix the issue and convince Simmons to stay, their fans continue to give the former No. 1 pick more reasons to leave the City of Brotherly Love. In a video posted on Twitter, some of the Sixers’ fans who attended the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) event in Philadelphia were featured doing a "f–k Ben Simmons" chant.
It’s worth noting that after their 2020-21 NBA season came to an end, Sixers’ fans put all the blame on Simmons for their inability to advance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
