Sixers: Ranking hypothetical Ben Simmons trade targets

Ranking Sixers’ hypothetical Ben Simmons trade targets: Top of the mountain

1. Damian Lillard

Look, this goes without saying. If the Sixers can get Damian Lillard — and that’s one heck of an if — the trigger must be pulled. Trade Simmons, trade Thybulle, trade Maxey, trade every pick this side of 2030. If you can pair Embiid and Lillard, two top-10 players in the winnable Eastern Conference, you do it. You have to maximize Embiid’s window while it’s still open.

Lillard is the most dynamic shooter in the NBA, save for Seth Curry’s brother in Golden State. He would stretch defenses to the breaking point, while Embiid assaults them in the paint. Once upon a time, the Embiid-Redick two-man game stood as one of the best offensive actions in basketball. The Embiid-Lillard two-man game would break physics.

Last season, the 30-year-old averaged 28.8 points and 7.5 assists. He shot 39.1 percent on 10.5 attempts per game from deep. The Blazers have failed Lillard year after year, as have the Sixers with Embiid. If Philadelphia has the chance to do right by both of them, it would be a true franchise turning point — and the closest thing to a championship favorite the Sixers have fielded since the 80s.

Brooklyn looms large in the East, and there’s never a guarantee — especially with Embiid’s health — but you have to push all your chips in when afforded the opportunity. Embiid stands among the pantheon of all-time Philadelphia athletes already. The Sixers need to do whatever it takes to deliver him a true chance at a title. Lillard is a pipe dream of a fit.