Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons for C.J. McCollum trade rumors have been going around all offseason long and Portland fans seem to think this deal could help them out, but in reality, bringing in Simmons at the expense of a much better offensive player in McCollum does not really do anything for the Trail Blazers in terms of contending for a championship. 

In time, Ben Simmons could still turn into the two-way star that was destined to be as the No. 1 pick in 2016, but Damian Lillard does not have, nor does he want to give time up. Lillard is now 31-years-old and his clock is ticking since he is in the midst of his prime. 

Who knows how long Lillard is going to be able to sustain the level of play he is at right now and he wants to capitalize on his chances to potentially win a title now. Unfortunately, it just does not look like this is going to happen in Portland, even with Ben Simmons. 

As of right now, Simmons is a “work in progress” and it is going to take time for him to reach his full potential, that is if there is any “full potential” to even reach at this point. He is not better than McCollum on offense and while he does help the Blazers as a whole defensively, he hurts them overall since it would be just Damian Lillard on the offensive-end of the floor. 

READ MORE: Predictions for NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Lillard, Hield, Ingles, Siakam

Trading C.J. McCollum for Ben Simmons sounds good on paper given Simmons accolades and what not, but overall, this move really does hurt the Blazers in the grand scheme of things.