NBA Trades: Analyzing a hypothetical Ben Simmons/Damian Lillard trade

Does this trade for Damian Lillard work for the Philadelphia 76ers?

The Philadelphia 76ers solve a handful of problems with this deal. First off, they get Ben Simmons out of Philly and onto another NBA roster. Second, in removing Simmons from the equation, they replace him with somebody who fills their offensive holes beautifully. Whereas Simmons was tentative and often afraid to shoot the ball (and just outright refused to do so in the fourth quarters of the Hawks series), that won’t be Lillard’s flaw.

Lillard will be a shooting and scoring threat that makes Joel Embiid’s life easier and fits with the roster and starting lineup infinitely better in a traditional sense. He’s a big downgrade defensively, but the Sixers are already a pretty good defensive squad even without Simmons. This is a tradeoff they should be willing to make.

It’s still a massive investment in future capital, as this trade is not a one-for-one swap. Simmons departs along with Maxey and Thybulle, as well as those two first-round picks. It’s a costly move, but Lillard is a true star, if not an absolute superstar. The Sixers are the team sending out the haul of assets rather than receiving, as they currently demand, but if there’s a place to spent that capital, this deal is it.

This trade may be painful for the Sixers, but it works and they should pursue it if it becomes a possibility.