The Portland Trail Blazers are a team that is currently at a crossroads, and they have to pick between building around Damian Lillard or trading the veteran point guard to enter a rebuilding period. The “two timelines” approach rarely works out, as we saw with the Golden State Warriors this season.
We recently saw Trail Blazers GM Joe Cronin say that the Trail Blazers could use the No. 3 pick to try and put a championship-level team around Damian Lillard. There is no doubt that the only way for that to happen is to get a superstar that can help Lillard carry the load on the offensive end.
One perfect option for that is Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. There have been some rumors that James Harden might end up leaving for the Rockets, and if Embiid knows that his co-star will leave, it is easy to see Embiid requesting a trade from the team. The superstar is also notably upset that the franchise fired Doc Rivers. The Trail Blazers could offer him a mix of a competitive situation next to another All-NBA player, while also giving the 76ers a solid value package. Here is a potential trade scenario.
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, No. 3 Pick
There is no doubt that this is a trade scenario that could potentially be good for both teams and would likely be the blockbuster move of the summer. Here is why this works for the Trail Blazers and the 76ers.
The Trail Blazers Become A Powerhouse In The Western Conference
If there is a legitimate chance to get a top-10 player for the Portland Trail Blazers, the team must capitalize on it by any means necessary. They seem serious about building a championship-level team around Damian Lillard, and adding Joel Embiid would help them greatly with that goal. Two All-NBA level players next to one another is a good bet to be a championship-level duo, especially when one of them is the 2022-23 MVP. Though the Trail Blazers package in this scenario could be considered an overpay, when trading for elite players, one generally has to give up a lot of assets.
In the regular season, Joel Embiid averaged 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 4.2 APG, and it is clear that he is a top-5 player when healthy, and a top-10 player at worst. Pairing him with an elite floor spacer like Damian Lillard would give him a lot of room to operate and play his game in the playoffs. We all know that Damian Lillard is the kind of player that warps a defense in its entirety: if we add another player that has a similar offensive gravity, that seems like a recipe for success. Embiid and Lillard also don’t occupy the same areas on the court either, as Embiid is primarily a post and midrange player while Lillard prefers to do his damage from the perimeter.
An underrated factor here is that Joel Embiid getting traded to the Portland Trail Blazers could also influence forward Jerami Grant’s free agency decision. It is clear that Jerami Grant would be an elite third option behind Joel Embiid and Damian Lillard, and that core could be the foundation of something special.
Of course, this all hinges on Joel Embiid requesting a trade from the 76ers. Teams don’t willingly trade MVP-level players in their prime, but if Embiid does want out, anything is possible.
The Philadelphia 76ers Do A Reset While Getting A Top-Tier Prospect
In the scenario that Joel Embiid requests a trade, it makes sense for the Philadelphia 76ers to try and amass young players and get a top-tier pick in this season’s draft. Being at No. 3 means that they can get Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller. Either prospect could become a foundational piece for them, and if one is trading an MVP-level player, a prospect with superstar potential is one of the best things that they can get.
On top of the No. 3 overall pick, the 76ers would also get promising young guard Anfernee Simons as well as elite wing prospect Shaedon Sharpe. Simons is already a solid sixth-man-type player at the NBA level, and he could have even more room to grow on the 76ers. It is hard to see him and Tyrese Maxey both starting due to their poor individual defense, but he is definitely a good player to get, even if you trade him down the line. Shaedon Sharpe is a hyper-athletic wing who has elite slashing and shot creation, and he clearly has star-level potential. Jusuf Nurkic’s contract is in this deal as a salary filler.
It will be interesting to see if a deal like this is something the Philadelphia 76ers would ever consider. It would definitely give them a solid young core from which they could build the next iteration of their team.
This Deal Could End Up Being A Good Trade For Both Teams
There is no doubt that this trade has benefits for both teams. If Joel Embiid ends up requesting a trade due to James Harden leaving, then it makes sense that the Trail Blazers would be one of the first teams on the phone. Having the No. 3 pick as an asset is very valuable, especially in a deep draft such as this year’s.
The 76ers getting this package filled with young players would allow them to build a solid core, that could potentially compete for championships in the future. Joel Embiid has been unable to make the Eastern Conference Finals during his tenure with the team, and from a franchise perspective, perhaps it is time for them to follow through with a reset.
Though this deal isn’t necessarily going to happen right now, as both teams are still assessing their current situations, it could definitely be a solid option for both in the future. This all hinges on Joel Embiid, and we’ll see if he decides to stay with the 76ers or seek a better chance to contend elsewhere.
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