Ever since the Sixers suffered a miserable playoff exit to the Atlanta Hawks, Ben Simmons being traded has been the hot topic in the NBA news. There have been reports about multiple teams being interested in the 3-time All Star, as well as other star players being rumored to be on the trade block. Here are some trade scenarios to consider based on those rumors:
Damian Lillard likely to request a trade
Reports are circulating that Damian Lillard officially will request a trade form the Portland Trailblazers sometime this week. This doesn't come as a surprise to many NBA fans, but once it is official that he wants out, other teams, like the Sixers, begin to gain leverage in trade negotiations for the star Point Guard.
Trade Proposal 1:
Sixers send: Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, 2021 1st round pick, 2023 unprotected 1st round pick
Sixers get: Damian Lillard
Portland sends: Damian Lillard
Portland gets: Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, 2021 1st round pick, 2023 unprotected 1st round pick
Trade Proposal 2:
Sixers send: Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, 2021 1st round pick, 2023 unprotected 1st round pick
Sixers get: Damian Lillard
Portland sends: Damian Lillard
Portland gets: Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, 2021 1st round pick, 2023 unprotected 1st round pick
Spurs want Simmons
There have also been rumors that the Spurs are interested in trading for Simmons because Greg Popovich believes Simmons can fit his system. The Spurs are a team that will be looking to rebuild, and they likely will be selling off their pieces to gain as many assets as possible. They could look to make a move for Simmons and build a team that fits around his play style.
Trade Proposal:
Spurs send: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson, 2021 1st round pick
Spurs get: Ben Simmons
Sixers send: Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, 2021 1st round pick, 2023 unprotected 1st round pick
Sixers get: Damian Lillard
Portland sends: Damian Lillard
Portland gets: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson, Tyrese Maxey, 2021 1st round pick (Spurs), 2021 1st round pick (Sixers), 2023 1st round pick (SIxers)
This trade allows Portland to gain valuable draft capital as well as some core young talent to build around or to use as trade pieces for a further rebuild. The Sixers get the star Point Guard they need to help Joel Embiid lead this team to the NBA Finals. The Spurs get an All Star player to build around in Ben Simmons that is still only 24 years old.
Kings interested in Simmons
The Kings have been reportedly interested in Ben Simmons, but there are rumors the don't want to include De'Aaron Fox in any trade talks. I do not see a way a trade gets done between these two teams without Fox being included. If Daryl Morey can change the Kings minds, the Sixers could get a young Point Guard with elite athleticism that can do a lot of things on the offensive end of the court.
Trade Proposal:
Sixers send: Ben Simmons, George Hill
Sixers get: De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes
Kings send: De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes
Kings get: Ben Simmons, George Hill
The Sixers get their scorer to handle the ball while also adding a veteran wing who plays solid defense and shot 39% from 3pt last year.
Overall, there are countless trades that could possibly happen. Reports indicate that the Sixers are in on Damian Lillard, and that is the type of move Daryl Morey was brought here to make. He is a guy who chases championships, and adding a player like Lillard makes the Sixers easily one of the best teams in the NBA.
The draft picks may seem like a lot to give up in certain trades, but with how late the Sixers plan on their picks being every year, they are worth flipping for a top player in the game. One of the Sixers biggest faults is that they do not have a closer. They don't have a guy they can give the ball to in crunch time, and Lillard scores clutch basket after clutch basket on a consistent basis. The 4th quarter is "Dame time."
If the Sixers aren't able to land Lillard, there are other options such as De'Aaron Fox, Bradley Beal, and Zach Lavine that could all boost the Sixers offensively while probably costing less than Lillard.
-Mike Devlin
@mikedevlin12