The Philadelphia 76ers have been off to a disappointing start and it is time for a change. Coming into this season, many expected them to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals after the big. Moves they made. After starting off 5-0, many expected them to cruise through the East but, they have fallen off and are now the 6th seed in the East with a 25-16 record.
This recent stretch has a lot of Sixers fans worried and questioning whether the pairing of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will work out.
A potential move that the Sixers could make to turn this season around would be Ben Simmons and Al Horford for Damian Lillard.
The Portland Trail Blazers came into this season with hopes of contending for a championship. Now, they are a measly 17-24 and the 10th seed in the Western Conference. This poor record can be attributed to injuries and a disappointing offseason.
The Blazers decided to let go of Al-Farouq Aminu, Mo Harkless, and Meyers Leonard this offseason and let Seth Curry walk and sign with the Dallas Mavericks. All four of those players were key components to their success last year and, rather than building on it, they went backward and have reaped the consequences.
This trade would be a desperation move by the Trail Blazers as they are getting youth and a potential superstar in this trade. Damian Lillard is arguably the greatest player to ever play for the Blazers and this move would not sit well with the fans. With that being said, the NBA is a business and teams need to make gut-wrenching changes in order to succeed.
This move would also accelerate a potential rebuild as the Blazers would be acquiring a young All-Star in Ben Simmons. On the Blazers, Simmons would have more freedom and play on a team where he would be the number one option. Also, Terry Stotts is a big upgrade over Brett Brown, and he would be able to use his creativity to improve Simmon’s game.
Though a franchise-altering move, the Blazers would still be able to contend for the playoffs with a lineup of Simmons – McCollum – Melo – Horford – Nurkic (when healthy) and if they are looking to rebuild, they could then flip McCollum and Horford for more assets.
A pairing of Lillard – Embiid would be one that could push for the finals in the East. Giving up Horford and Simmons would diminish their defense, but they could compensate for players lost with the wing defenders they have. With the youth on the Sixers, they would be able to still be good even in Lillard’s twilight years and the combination of scoring, playmaking, and defense on this team would make them scary.
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