The Philadelphia 76ers are still in a weird spot as the team continues forward with the 2021-22 season. A lot of their issues are still centered on the status of Ben Simmons and what to do with him as they try and find the right value for one of the game’s bright young stars.
Things may have gotten more clear for Philadelphia as the Portland Trail Blazers fired GM Neil Olshey recently that could open up the Blazers for trades. The Sixers will be first in line should Damian Lillard become available, but Lillard’s loyalty to Portland remains steadfast and he would like the organization to acquire Simmons and bring him to Portland rather than be swapped for him.
That then opens the door for a possible C.J. McCollum deal. The veteran out of Lehigh is averaging 20.6 points for the Blazers and he would bring a lot of perimeter scoring and a go-to guy from the perimeter to put next to Joel Embiid. While he is not Lillard, the Sixers could do much worse.
However, per Kyle Nuebeck of The PhillyVoice, president Daryl Morey and the Sixers have their eyes on a bigger fish to catch in exchange for Simmons:
a source familiar with the situation spoke to PhillyVoice on Monday evening and said the Sixers have had no recent discussions with Portland regarding a CJ McCollum trade, and a package centered around the Blazers’ guard is not currently of interest to the Sixers.
The Sixers are expected to continue dialogue with teams across the league about potential opportunities as December 15th nears closer and more trade scenarios become available league-wide.
This makes a lot of sense for Philadelphia. While McCollum would give the Sixers a lot of help in terms of being a perimeter scorer and a guy who can create offense for himself as well as others, the Sixers will suffer defensively for it. He fits the team on offense, but he is not a guy who would fit this team like a glove. They have to stay patient and find the right move for Simmons.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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