The Philadelphia 76ers are continuing to try and pick up the pieces following their Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Round 2 of the playoffs as they try and figure out what they’re going to do to get back on the title quest.
They do not have a lot of money to play with in free agency and a pick at 28 is most likely not going to make a huge impact right away. So the most realistic way to upgrade the roster is through trade.
The biggest fish out there right now is Portland Trail Blazers star, Damian Lillard. The 9-year veteran has reportedly been frustrated with the Blazers not being a legitimate title contender and it is believed that he wants out.
Lillard has since denied any want to move out of Portland, but that does not mean teams are still not going to put their bid in for him. The Sixers have a big asset in now 25-year old star Ben Simmons as the centerpiece of any potential Lillard deal.
Per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Sixers have been one of the more aggressive teams in pursuit of the 6-time All-Star:
Few team executives expect a Dame deal to happen this offseason. But multiple front-office sources say the Heat, Kings, Knicks, Rockets, and Sixers have recently been the most aggressive suitors.
Front-office executives say that if the Blazers eventually move Lillard, they can expect a return rivaling or surpassing what the Nets gave up for James Harden: multiple young players, plus three first-round picks and four first-round pick swaps.
Assuming that Lillard wants to go to a legitimate title contender, the Sixers do make the most sense for him. A pairing of Lillard and Joel Embiid would vault the Sixers to the top of the Eastern Conference conversation as it would add the badly needed shot creation from the perimeter as well as adding a go-to guy late in the clutch who is clearly not afraid of any moment.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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