The Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers could build a trade around a Ben Simmon-CJ McCollum swap
Outside of Kristaps Porzingis, there may not have been a player who tanked his value more in these playoffs than Ben Simmons. There’s no doubt that Simmons is an absolute elite defender, gifted passer, and a young star in the making, but it’s never been clearer that it’ll take the perfect fit to unlock his fullest potential.
The Australian is 6’10, plays his best defense on the wings, has absolutely no jump shot or moves in his offensive bag, but needs the ball in his hands to be effective.
His fit with Joel Embiid has always been questioned but this offseason answered that with a resounding negative statement.
What the Philadelphia 76ers are missing from their roster is a true shot creator to man their backcourt, or in simpler terms, CJ McCollum.
A CJ-Embiid pick-and-roll would be absolutely lethal to defenses. McCollum’s innate ability to create for himself is desperately needed in Philly, as they’ve lacked a true closer since Jimmy Butler skipped town. Lastly, CJ’s turnstile tendencies would be negated by the Sixers insanely efficient team defense, even if Ben Simmons is shipped away.
A Ben Simmons-CJ McCollum swap seems to make sense for all parties involved. The only real question left is which team would have to tack on additional assets to get the other constituent to agree?