No franchise is more eager to compete, and more eager to take the next step in that direction, than the Philadelphia 76ers. Another second-round exit has infused the offseason with a sense of urgency. Ben Simmons is hot in the rumor mill, while Daryl Morey is perhaps the most infamous big-swing GM in the league. Expect the Sixers to do something.
One of Morey’s signature big swings becomes ever more possible if a superstar demands a trade. Right now, it would appear Damian Lillard is approaching a trade request. While nothing is formal as of now, pushback to the Blazers’ head coaching search, in conjunction with Portland’s inability to build a contender, seems to be testing Lillard’s loyalty. There’s a lot of smoke, and it smells like a fire.
The winds of change are blowing, and Damian Lillard might ask out of Portland. The Sixers should make a strong push.
Last season, the 30-year-old Lillard averaged 28.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on 45.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from deep. He has 3-point range out to the logo, and is one of the most confident closers in recent NBA history — a stark departure from Ben Simmons, who refused to touch a basketball for three straight fourth quarters. He also has four years remaining on his contract.
Of course, if Lillard does eventually ask out, the Sixers should jump at the opportunity. While fans were split on James Harden early last season, no one is split on Lillard. Ben Simmons has lost the faith of the fanbase completely, and it’s hard to fathom a better superstar fit next to Joel Embiid. You can bet Morey will push all his chips in if Lillard does eventually reach the point of no return in Portland.
So, in answer to the initially posed question — yes. The Sixers have what it takes on paper. Does that mean Lillard is a lock for Philadelphia if a trade demand occurs…
… no. No, it does not. Lillard would almost certainly exert some level of control over his eventual destination. Like James Harden, and Anthony Davis before him, we would likely get a “list” of preferred landing spots. That list may or may not include Philadelphia (it probably does), and that is step one. Lillard has to want to play with Joel Embiid.
Assuming Lillard does not reject the notion of Philadelphia entirely, then Morey should go all-in. He’s under contract for at least three years, with a fourth-year player option worth $48 million that is hard to turn down. The Sixers would have Lillard and Embiid all but locked in for the duration of their (remaining) prime years.
Do the Sixers have the best trade package for Damian Lillard?
This is a fascinating proposition based on a number of factors. The pool of suitors, should Lillard ask out, is sure to be vast. Even more vast than the pool of suitors for James Harden and Anthony Davis, both of whom had shorter contracts and greater concerns tied to age/injury.
Take, for example, the Boston Celtics. Boston would have liked James Harden, but Jaylen Brown was never on the table. Would Brown be on the table in a Portland deal? If so, it’s hard to imagine a package built around Ben Simmons would trump a package built around Brown given what just unfolded in the playoffs.
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Or, you can look at the New Orleans Pelicans, who are desperate to build a contender around Zion Williamson, lest he also demand a trade. Zion is ready to win basketball games now, and is dangerously close to top-10 status in the NBA. The Pelicans have Brandon Ingram to trade, and a bounty of first-round picks that David Griffin has painstakingly accumulated for this very moment. The irony of multiple superior packages built around Ben Simmons’ fellow 2016 draftees is both humorous and demoralizing.
Speaking of that, the Nuggets could even offer Jamal Murray and picks to pair Lillard with the reigning MVP. Some teams will inevitably balk — what about Bam Adebayo in Miami, or Jrue Holiday in Milwaukee, or Talen Horton-Tucker in LA (a joke) — but expect multiple franchises to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Portland. The Sixers are not alone on an island here.
That said, Ben Simmons does still command value on the trade market, and he’s a 24-year-old with three All-Star appearances and a runner-up finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting on his resume. That’s not nothing. The Sixers can also throw in the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, both of whom are special and unique young talents.
For Philadelphia, it would likely take all three — Simmons, Thybulle, and Maxey — along with a plethora of picks to get Lillard in a Sixers uniform. Were I Daryl Morey, that is a no-brainer. You have to do everything to win while Embiid is in his prime. Opportunities like Lillard are not common.
Framework of a potential Sixers – Damian Lillard trade
This is probably where you’re starting if you’re Portland. There’s no reason to accept anything less than Philadelphia’s three best young assets, on top of every legally providable first-round pick and/or pick swap. The Sixers already gave their 2025 first-round pick to OKC in the Danny Green trade, and the Stepien rule is tough to work around, but the Nets traded four picks and four swaps for James Harden with one-and-a-half years on his contract. The Blazers will require a similar haul.
It could feasibly take even more than what is listed above, and that would put the Sixers firmly between a rock and a hard place. Some teams — quite frankly — have better assets than Philadelphia. The Sixers are uniquely geared to compete, and can therefore stomach a full cleaning of house to get Lillard, but other teams have more picks and similar, if not better prospects. You cannot rule out the Sixers simply getting outbid, even if Morey pulls out every stop.
By that same token, the above trade suggestion is a lot, and some teams may simply not match it. The Sixers are firmly in the running if Lillard asks out, and even more so if he labels Philadelphia as a destination of choice. The Sixers also have the benefit of being in the East, a benefit New Orleans does not share. The same can be said of the LA teams, should Lillard express interest in a bigger market. The Blazers probably do not want to face Lillard four times a year for the foreseeable future if they can help it.
These things are seldom simple, and a Lillard trade request would reverberate throughout the NBA. He is arguably the most desirable trade target of the past five years when you take into account age, contract, attitude, and performance. There is very little the Sixers shouldn’t offer if Lillard becomes available.