Philadelphia 76ers: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make

Philadelphia 76ers move to make No. 5: Trade Ben Simmons

In the aftermath of the 76ers loss to the Hawks, coach Doc Rivers was asked if they could win the championship with Ben Simmons at point guard. His response was not one of a coach supporting his player because he said he did not know. Yes, he was disappointed, but you have to back your players.

Then Joel Embiid blamed hitting one free throw a trip down the floor, which was a clear dig at Simmons, saying that his free throw shooting had cost them the series. Now the 76ers are saying what they would require from another team in order to move Simmons.

None of this suggests that Simmons will be on the team next season. If he is, it would be understandable if he was not fully invested. The 76ers need to trade him in case another situation arises like Harden with the Houston Rockets. His trade value may be down at the moment but it is probably the best time to trade Simmons.

Sending him to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum would satisfy their need for a star player in return for Simmons. The thought of Embiid playing alongside Lillard would fill the rest of the NBA with fear as there would be very few weaknesses to exploit.