A mock trade for Sixers to acquire Damian Lillard from Trail Blazers
The Philadelphia 76ers do not have much cap space to play with in free agency so the best way to retool the roster and make improvements is through the trade market.
The Sixers will certainly be looking for ways to improve their roster. President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey always finds a way to make a move he feels like will improve their roster.
One player who is intriguing is Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard. The Sixers have had a lot of interest in Lillard in the past and it will be interesting to see how the Blazers handle his situation in the 2023 offseason.
Sixers Wire has come up with a mock trade, thanks to the help of capologist Yossi Gozlan, for Lillard to come to Philadelphia.
The fake trade proposal
Sixers get: Damian Lillard
Trail Blazers get: Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, De’Anthony Melton, pick swaps in 2024, 2026, and 2028
Why the Blazers do this
Portland has been steadfast in its thought process of continuing to build around Lillard. It makes sense considering he just had an incredible season averaging 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 37.1% from deep, but on the flip side, he is also going to be 33 when the season begins.
The Blazers have a nice young player in Anfernee Simons who is ready to take the reins of the team and move forward. Having him team up with Maxey would give them a new dynamic backcourt and having Harris and Melton join them as well would make them a competitive group that would still have a chance to compete and make the playoffs.
Why the Sixers do this deal
Moving Maxey would be so hard to do for this franchise. He is only going to get better and this is after he averaged 20.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 43.4% from deep. He was fantastic all season long and he is going to make multiple All-Star games.
However, Lillard gives them their best chance to win right now. His ability to take a game over in the blink of an eye and just throw a team on his back as well as his killer instinct comes in handy for a team contending for a championship. He and Joel Embiid would be able to co-exist just as James Harden was able to do so.
Of course, this trade is all about whether Harden leaves or not. If he does, then Lillard should be somebody to keep an eye on for Philadelphia despite the fact that he listed the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets as his preferred destinations.
