The Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers are two teams that have been intertwined all summer. Following the latest news to surface, they continue to look like a perfect match in terms of trade partners.
As we know, the stalemate between Ben Simmons and the Sixers has been never-ending. The three-time All-Star has yet to suit up in a game this season, and a return date is nowhere in sight. Simmons and his camp continue to do all they can in hopes of getting a change of scenery.
Daryl Morey remains patient in seeking a trade, waiting for a high-level player to become available. Damian Lillard has been at the top of his wishlist, but it seems like his dream of pairing the All-Star guard with Joel Embiid is not in the cards. In a recent story for The Athletic, Shams Charania and Sam Amick reported Lillard would like to play alongside Simmons in Portland.
It is not surprising Lillard is open to the idea of playing alongside the Sixers' disgruntled All-Star. Portland currently has one of the NBA's worst defenses. Adding a premier defender like Simmons would instantly help solve that problem.
Simmons' high-level facilitating could also take playmaking pressure off the Blazers' franchise cornerstone. There is also a chance Lillard views Simmons as the Draymond Green to his Stephen Curry.
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CJ McCollum has also been a name linked to Simmons all summer, and a swap between these two makes more sense by the day. Hearing that Lillard wants to play with Simmons now might also make Morey's job easier, as the new Blazers' front office might overpay for the former No. 1 pick in an effort to keep their star happy.
He might not be the caliber of Lillard, but McCollum is still a drastic upgrade for the Sixers. Adding him to the mix gives the team a high-level guard who can score in bunches on all three levels. Not to mention he is a perfect complement to Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.
This report puts Morey at a bit of a crossroads. While it might make a McCollum deal much easier now, it might not make sense for him to better Lillard's situation. If he continues to hold off and the Blazers spiral even more, we might finally see the Lillard sweepstakes.
Even with the possibility of Lillard requesting a trade down the line, making a move for McCollum makes a ton of sense. The Sixers are a team that wants to win right now. If they continue to wait and Lillard stands firm in Portland, it will result in wasting a year of Embiid's peak.
Sometimes, the obvious move is the best one. Getting a deal done now for McCollum brings in a high-level talent and finally puts an end to the Simmons drama. This is an opportunity Morey should certainly be looking to take advantage of, and it's about time to pull the trigger.
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