CJ McCollum for Ben Simmons swap?
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: G CJ McCollum, POR 2026 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to PHI)
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: G/F Ben Simmons, PHI 2024 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to POR)
Realistically, the more plausible trade scenario for the Sixers and Blazers to get a deal done revolves around CJ McCollum. Damian Lillard is a better player than Ben Simmons. While Simmons is probably a better all-around player than C.J. McCollum, the Blazers shooting guard is exactly the kind of player the 76ers should want for Simmons.
Before injuring his foot last season, McCollum was putting up All-Star-like numbers, and he would have no problem being the No. 2 guy next to Joel Embiid in the Sixers’ offense.
In the last two years, CJ McCollum has averaged 22.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and has shot 38.9% from three-point range. He is a championship-level guard in this league, but he is the only other asset on this Portland Trail Blazers roster next to Lillard.
If Lillard is not included in a deal for Ben Simmons, you almost have to believe that McCollum would be the guy on the move in a potential trade. Regarding what the trade would look like, it is safe to assume that the Blazers and 76ers could just do a “swap” of Simmons for McCollum, with some added draft incentives for both sides.
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Ben Simmons is set to make $33M this upcoming season, and C.J. McCollum will make $30.8M, so their contracts align perfectly for an easy trade to occur.
With Damian Lillard not requesting a trade, the Blazers talking about potentially trading him could cause a lot of drama and issues, plus why would they want to trade him, to begin with?
Damian Lillard is arguably a Top-10 player in this league, so getting rid of him would make no sense for the Blazers. CJ McCollum is a solid player and has proven to be a great talent next to him for years now, but at the end of the day, Ben Simmons could wind up doing more things next to Lillard than McCollum has over the years.
Going back to talking about the Philadelphia 76ers, their main problem last year was that they did not have a reliable No. 2 scoring option, especially when Tobias Harris struggled.
If they are going to move Ben Simmons, the Sixers need to get a reliable scorer and a player who is comfortable making shots from the perimeter, which is why CJ McCollum would be a terrific addition for their offense.
