Sixers’ pros and cons of trading for Damian Lillard: CONS
Because Lillard is a superstar-level talent, the Portland Trail Blazers will likely command a high price for their star point guard. To realistically trade for Lillard, the Sixers would definitely have to part with Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey/Matisse Thybulle, and draft compensation, including multiple first-round picks. While Damian Lillard is a better player than Ben Simmons, the draft compensation as well as Maxey or Thybulle being traded would be a hard bargain for the Sixers’ front office. Trading Maxey and/or Thybulle along with several first-round picks would significantly jeopardize the Sixers’ future.
While the Sixers would gain significantly from Lillard’s offensive output, losing Ben Simmons and potentially also Thybulle would be a significant loss on the defensive side of ball. Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle are both all-defensive level talents that are both young and should be competing against each other for Defensive Player of the Year awards in the near future. This type of defensive talent on one team is a very rare occurence that the Sixers have significantly benefited from and will benefit from for years to come.
The quote “defense wins championships” is often thrown around, but after a failed postseason run, it’s fair to question If this all-defensive experiment can work. Perhaps it may be worth it to explore a different path with Damian Lillard at the focal point of the switch.