Breaking: The Portland Trailblazers have hinted at a CJ McCollum for Ben Simmons trade. Will Damian Lillard get what he wants?

In the last 24 hours, it was revealed by Shams Charania of “The Athletic” that Portland Trailblazer's All-Star, Damian Lillard has an interest in playing with Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Charania further revealed that former Blazers general manager Neil Olshey constructed a trade for Simmons that sends CJ McCollum, a young player and a first-round pick for Simmons. However, this past Friday, Olshey was fired after violating the organization's code of conduct. With Olshey's departure from Portland, the future for the Blazers looks underwhelming.

In the last few months, the Blazers have been under immense pressure from their star point guard. From numerous disappointing playoff productions to the lack of a second true All-Star behind Lillard, the Blazers have always been a solid team in the regular season but underwhelming in the playoffs. With the Blazers' 2021 playoffs being a massive disappointment, Lillard has grown impatient and revealed that if the Blazers do not improve, he will request a trade out of Portland. However, the Blazers have an opportunity to improve their roster on defence while pleasing Lillard by trading for Simmons. 

Despite Lillard expressing his frustrations and disappointments to the Blazer's front office, he has maintained a level of professionalism and loyalty to Portland. However, the Philadelphia 76ers cannot say the same to their All-Star point guard in Ben Simmons.

Since August of 2021, Simmons has been waiting to be traded to any organization in the NBA! While the 76ers have received multiple offers for Simmons, general manager Daryl Morey has declined every offer as it was not enough of a return. The type of offers that Morey received for Simmons included players who were either All-Stars, borderline All-Stars or young players with potential. Most of the offers that Morey has received for Simmons have been fair offers considering how low Simmons's trade value is in the NBA. 

The situations in Philadelphia and Portland have been unfortunate and frustrating to watch as both teams possess top-ten quality players in the NBA. Philadelphia is in a position where they could easily improve if they were not focused on robbing other organizations, while Portland is merely a few pieces away from being legitimate title contenders in the Western Conference. Both organizations have the potential to be elite but are run poorly. A trade between Portland and Philadelphia is bound to happen, especially after Lillard's interest in playing alongside Ben Simmons.

The Portland Trailblazers currently have one of the best home-court records while having the worst road-game record in the NBA. From inconsistent scoring production by Lillard this season to lacklustre defence, the Blazers have become one of the most inconsistent organizations in the NBA. With a record of 11-13, it makes sense why Lillard expressed interest in teaming up with Simmons. Despite Simmons lacking a true jump-shot, he adds other qualities that the Blazers desperately need such as, a reliable perimeter defender and an elite playmaker. The potential of Simmons and Lillard would be lethal in the Western Conference and the most balanced duo in the NBA. However, what will it take for the 76ers to accept a trade by the Portland Trailblazers? 

As previously established, Morey has been a stingy general manager. He has refused almost every trade offer while demanding more than Simmons's worth. If the Blazers want to keep their franchise player, they would have to sacrifice many assets to realistically complete a trade with the 76ers. The most realistic offer for Simmons requires the following assets. 

Philadelphia receives- CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr, (Nassir Little or Jusuf Nurkic), unprotected 2024 first-round pick, 2027 and 2028 unprotected second-round pick. 

Portland receives- Ben Simmons and Danny Green. 

Upon reflection, this is a massive haul for a player that may never play the same as he once did. One of the main reasons Morey has been incredibly stingy for a Simmons trade is due to how he views Simmons's potential. Since joining the organization, Morey believed that Simmons had superstar potential. However, here is why the Blazers should try their hardest to trade for Simmons. 

When looking at this offer, the Blazers lose their second-best player in McCollum, a solid role player in Larry Nance, a young prospect in Nassir Little, and a couple of picks that may not have a lot of value in the future. In other words, the Blazers would be trading players that would not affect their overall future. Instead, they would receive a player who is 25 years old while being under contract for many seasons. The Blazers need Simmons as he perfectly compliments Lillard's skillset. Sacrificing many assets is the cost of trading for Simmons at this point. Suppose an organization's star player requests them to trade for a player that will encourage him to stay. In that case, the organization should pounce on an offer as soon as possible! 

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