Why the 76ers should target CJ McCollum in a Ben Simmons trade

Why the 76ers should target CJ McCollum in a Ben Simmons trade: Other options

For instance, there has been talk of the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring Domantas Sabonis. Unfortunately, Sabonis doesn’t fill any of the aforementioned criteria, as he is a below-average shooter, only making 31.9 percent of his threes on 1.3 attempts per game.

Furthermore, Sabonis has no experience running a pick and roll. Consequently, the 76ers would be accentuating his weaknesses if they put him alongside Embiid.

Another player that has been talked about in the Ben Simmons trade is Brandon Ingram. Brandon Ingram has only made 36.6 of his threes on 3.7 attempts per game throughout his career.

Ingram has been able to supplement his shooting with pick and rolls, averaging 5.2 per game and shooting 42.2 percent from the field on 3.9 shots. He has generated 4.4 points per game in the pick and roll – 24.3 percent of his scoring output. However, McCollum is statistically better than Ingram in both of these criteria.

The only player who could be a better option than McCollum would be his teammate Damian Lillard, who has made 38.8 percent of his catch and shoots on 2.7 attempts per game. Catch and shoots have been a strong indicator of his success from behind the arc, as he has shot 39 percent on 6.3 shots per game.

Lillard has also had success in the pick and roll, shooting 43.5 percent on 8.96 attempts per game. He has averaged 11.7 points per game in the pick and roll – 43.5 percent of his scoring output.

Unfortunately, the Trailblazers’ organization has stated that he is currently off-limits in any potential Simmons trade. Therefore, CJ McCollum is presently the best option for the Sixers.