Ben Simmons trade rumours: How the 76ers star will fit into Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard

After a few quiet weeks, the Ben Simmons trade winds are reeling again.

ESPN reported late Friday afternoon that trade talks in Philadelphia had gained momentum over the past few days.

Wojnarowski reports that Portland has made it clear that All-NBA guard Damian Lillard is still out of the trade talks and that the franchise is not interested in moving him.

THAN: Lillard ‘wants to play’ with Ben Simmons

So, what will happen to the Trail Blazers to get Simmons in a non-Lillard deal? Will they even make sense as a duo?

Let’s take a closer look.

NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7 days free trial)

What will happen to the Trail Blazers getting Ben Simmons?

Any deal for Simmons will likely involve CJ McCollum for two reasons.

First, the salaries of McCollum ($30.9 million) and Simmons ($33.0 million) are almost identical, making it easy to compare salaries. Two, 76ers are said to be looking for a star in exchange for Simmons. While McCollum has yet to join an All-Star team so far in his career, he’s the closest thing the Trail Blazers get to a star on their roster other than Lillard.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Trail Blazers discussed the trading framework for Simmons, which included McCollum, a first-round draft player, and one of the team’s younger players like Nassir Little or Anfernee Simons while Olshey remained as president of operations. basketball. Before the season, the 76ers were said to have asked the Trail Blazers for the first three picks and three draft swaps as part of a potential package for Simmons, but Portland declined.

Now under new leadership, it will be interesting to see if the Trail Blazers attempt to resume conversations with the 76ers.

THAN: What if Ben Simmons didn’t pass dunk vs. Hawks?

Are Damian Lillard and Ben Simmons the perfect couple?

They will have the potential to complement each other quite well, that’s for sure.

First and foremost, Simmons will be of great help to Portland’s defence. The Trail Blazers have been one of the better offensive teams in the league for nearly a decade now, but they’ve struggled at the other end of the field. This season is no exception. Across 24 games, the Trail Blazers ranked last in the league in terms of defensive effectiveness when dropping average 113.3 points out of 100 possessions to their opponents.

As Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer recently detailed, the Trail Blazers played a much more aggressive scheme this season, but it didn’t exactly work.

One player may not be able to fix all of Portland’s defensive problems, but Simmons will certainly make a difference. He quickly established himself as one of the stellar defenders of the league, winning consecutive titles in the All-NBA Defensive First Team polls and finishing second in the Player vote. defense of the year. The Trail Blazers will greatly benefit from his versatility and overall break.

For what it’s worth, recent Lillard named Simmons one of the top three defenders in the current league. He is well aware of his dribbling ways.

On the other end of the field, Lillard is the ideal player to pair with Simmons as he attracts a lot of attention from the outside. Part of the problem in Philly is that Simmons and Joel Embiid are jostling for the same real estate, with both being the higher scorers on paint. It wasn’t much of a problem playing next to Lillard in Portland.

With the right mix of players around them, picking and rolling between the two can be a motivator. Lillard kept drawing doubles and Simmons was an excellent passer in short games. Handoffs will produce a similar punch.

Simmons will also add a new dynamic to the Trail Blazers with his transitional play. Few players put as much pressure on open-court teams as the Simmons and Trail Blazers didn’t make it through the break much in the Lillard era. That could make up for some of the offensive firepower that the Trail Blazers would lose if they swapped McCollum.

The Trail Blazers will likely have some distance issues with Simmons and Jusuf Nurkic on the field together, but they could find a way to flip Nurkic to center the distance between the decks. (This is the final season on Nurkic’s current contract, so he could attract interest when his contract expires if nothing else.) If not, they could play more Larry Nance Jr. at the age of five to pair Simmons with a capable 3-point shooter and disruptive defender. in the hallway.

Simmons and Nance Jr’s frontline could be a step in the right direction for the Trail Blazers in finding the right balance between attack and defense.

THAN: Build the perfect team around Ben Simmons

How likely is the Trail Blazers to trade for Ben Simmons?

Until anything happens beyond more shuffling of the rumor mill, it’s hard to say whether Friday’s update from Wojnarowski is a real sign that Philly’s stance has changed. or not.

The 76ers basketball executive chairman Daryl Morey said not too long ago that “Everyone should fasten their seat belts“when discussing the situation with Simmons, make it clear that he is looking for someone who can make a difference in return.

Does McCollum fit the bill as a difference-maker? Only Morey can answer that question.

Meanwhile, Lillard remains the same in response to rumors that he “become frustrated“with Portland’s play short and sweet.

It’s safe to assume there’s still a lot to be found out.