Portland Trail Blazers Trade #3 – CJ McCollum for Ben Simmons
By far the most controversial trade and one of the more polarizing figures in the NBA, is Australian talent, Ben Simmons.
Simmons, at six-foot-eleven, with crazy passing vision and elite athleticism, has one of the highest ceilings of any player in this league.
But, after a dismal showing down the stretch in some of the 76ers recent playoff games, he has attracted attention for all the wrong reasons. An incomplete offensive game and woes at the free-throw shooting line meant there are concerns about his long-term future with the team.
But, as an all-world defender who can credibly guard four and sometimes five positions, he is a rare commodity. By swapping him for CJ McCollum, the Blazers would bring in an elite man defender who could check the opposition’s best player on a nightly basis.
Simmons is elite at forcing turnovers, while also being able to protect the rim. He is an elite rebounder at both ends and one of the best finishers at the rim for his position.
His shooting is a problem, there’s no way to hide that fact. But, he was always going to be a bad fit next to Embiid, who is one of the most post-up heavy players in the NBA.
In a strong development system in Portland, Simmons could enhance his offensive game and work on his shooting like we have seen with many young players to come through this system.
The Blazers would need to add a protected first-round pick, but Simmons is just 24 so they would get good value. By adding McCollum to the 76ers, they could play four out surrounding Embiid, giving him the spacing he truly needs to open up his game. McCollum is a strong secondary playmaker, so would accentuate guys like Seth Curry as well.
Unfortunately, the Dame / CJ combination has run its course. Because of their similar size, skillset and position, they are unable to get this team to a strong playoff seeding or win multiple post-season series. If Neil Olshey was able to pull the trigger on any of these trades, I would make them in a heartbeat.
The time is now to improve the roster. It’s time to make moves.