Does this trade make sense for the Portland Trail Blazers?
Adding Ben Simmons to get better defensively is something that makes sense for the Portland Trail Blazers, but there is no way that they will be willing to give up this much value for a guy who has not played basketball since the playoffs last season.
Ben Simmons is a really good player and deserves a lot more respect than he gets, but the only trade that would make sense from Portland’s point of view would be to trade McCollum for Simmons straight-up.
It is not like they are getting anything for Simons and Little in this trade proposed above, so why would they have to be the ones to give up value? As far as I am concerned, Portland is in the driver’s seat in this trade between them and the 76ers between Philly needs this deal more than they do.
Both teams are pressed for time and need to make big moves if they are to remain relevant, but as long as the Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard, they can potentially build a contending team. The same can be said about Joel Embiid and the 76ers, but Philadelphia’s championship window will close this year if they do not add another star to their team.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Inside Blazers-Sixers Trade Talks Centered Around Ben Simmons
This trade is borderline idiotic for the Trail Blazers because going after Simmons would signify some kind of a rebuild, yet they would be giving up their best two young prospects on their roster in Simons and Little. Not to mention, they would also be trading away a valuable first-round pick that they could use to add another young talent to their team.
Given their slow start and all the turmoil this organization is facing, Portland is going to be forced to rebuild within the next two seasons, which is why just starting now makes a whole lot of sense. Trading for Ben Simmons makes sense as well, but giving up both Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little does not.
If this is the price they are going to have to pay for the 76ers’ All-Star, then they are much better off looking to leverage Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington instead of going after Ben Simmons. He is not the difference in this organization finding success this season and while reports have said Lillard wants to play with him, this is hard to believe.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Inside Blazers-Sixers Trade Talks Centered Around Ben Simmons
Other than being a presence defensively, Ben Simmons really would not serve any other role next to Damian Lillard in terms of making this team better on offense, so the only thing Lillard has to gain is getting more shots up.
If this is what he wants, there are definitely at least 10 other teams in the league that he could go to and get at least 30 shot attempts per game. Trading for Ben Simmons in this proposal makes the Portland Trail Blazers worse than they are now not only because they lose depth, but because they would lose a ton of future value that Simmons would not replace.
