The Portland Trail Blazers need to drive the price down on Ben Simmons
The Portland Trail Blazers reek of desperation right now. I’m not afraid to say it, but I am scared to smell it. With their two best players sidelined with injury, resulting in a four game losing streak, the Blazers have now dropped to 11th in the West — meaning that they’d be preparing for the lottery if the season ended today. With all of Portland’s struggles so far this season, it’s hard not to plead for a Ben Simmons deal to get done and maximize Damian Lillard‘s title window, no matter what it takes.
While Simmons would obviously repair some of this team’s ailments — while bringing over some new weaknesses of his own — the Blazers shouldn’t be too quick to give in to Daryl Morey’s infamously high demands. With CJ McCollum struggling to start the season and the Blazers sinking along with him, Morey’s starting offer has likely gotten pricier since his opening proposal of CJ, three first-round picks, and three first-round swaps. I would imagine that at this point — with Portland bleeding into the water — Morey would demand one of Anfernee Simons or Nassir Little to be included in the deal as well.
I firmly believe that a move even close to what Morey is suggesting would be a huge mistake for the Blazers. Simmons would likely improve the team immediately, but not to the point of title contention. A trade like what Morey wants, though, would also handicap Portland’s ability to make any further moves.
Portland should offer McCollum, a first-round pick, and maybe — just maybe — one additional first to get it done. The Blazers side of the exchange absolutely should not get any heftier than that and here’s why: