Portland Trail Blazers
Amid all of the chaos on social media during Philadelphia’s second-half collapse in Game 5, there were jokes being made about where Ben Simmons could be playing next season. Some people were saying that Simmons better enjoy the North West because of the potential of him playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, and that seems like an ideal team to target if you’re the 76ers.
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Similar to the Kings, sending Simmons to the Trail Blazers would ensure that he wouldn’t have an opportunity to make life tough for the 76ers in the Eastern Conference.
But above all, Portland has a player in Damian Lillard that would make Philadelphia an instant contender for an NBA title. It remains to be seen what the plans are for the Trail Blazers this offseason after the team fired Terry Stotts. The future of Portland is dependent on what Lillard wants to do. If he wants a fresh start elsewhere, and a better chance to win a title, then he could easily force the Trail Blazers to oblige
Even with Simmons showing that he isn’t a fit with Embiid, Morey needs an offer that he can’t refuse to move Simmons this offseason. Getting a player like Lillard — and possibly more — is something that Morey would accept immediately if given the chance. A trio of Lillard, Embiid, and Tobias Harris would be a nice group for the 76ers as they look to contend for a championship in the Eastern Conference.
