Now that everyone knows the Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons wants to come out, there will be even more commercial rumors and commercial suggestions until the day the Sixers finally move the disgruntled star.
Philadelphia has had a high price for the triple All-Star, but now that Simmons has ordered a trade, the team doesn’t have much leverage. They will have to move the 25-year-old for nearly a penny to avoid an awkward situation on the ground.
Still, there may still be some hope. In a new business suggestion published by Bleacher Report, Simmons moves to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team deal that also includes the Portland Trail Blazers.
- Sixers gets: Damian Lillard
- The Grizzlies get: Ben Simmons, second round pick of 2023 (via PHI), second round pick of 2023 (via ATL, CHA or BRK, PHI)
- The Trail Blazers get: Jaren Jackson Jr., Matisse Thybulle, Dillon Brooks, Jaden Springer, De’Anthony Melton, first round election of 2022 (via PHI), swap of the first round of 2024 (via PHI), exchange of the first round of 2026 (via PHI) and election of first round of 2027 (via PHI)
B / R on the role of Philadelphia in the agreement:
That said, it’s tricky to build a bridge between the Blazers and the Sixers, assuming a simple Lillard exchange for Simmons wouldn’t move the needle in Portland. This is where this comes in handy, as the Grizzlies engage in fun by landing Simmons and helping the Sixers provide the Blazers with plenty of rebuilding tools.
Philadelphia would unload almost all of its assets on this change, but the reward could be huge. Putting Lillard at the top of the list with Joel Embiid could give the Sixers their long-awaited way out of the Eastern Conference. His two-man actions would be basketball magic, and both can throw their own shots while the other catches air or stays off the ball.
At this point, there is probably no agreement with Lillard. The Trail Blazers won’t make it available anytime soon and the Sixers don’t have much time to wait for Lillard to request an operation in the same way Simmons did. Philadelphia will have to rest Lillard’s dream and will almost have to settle for a deal with Simmons to avoid a potential disaster to start the season.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!