NBA Trade Rumors: 3 ideal returns for Ben Simmons

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Portland Trail Blazers CJ McCollum (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Philadelphia 76ers return for Ben Simmons No. 1: CJ McCollum

One of the main issues the Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with is their reliance on superstar center Joel Embiid. The MVP runner-up is capable of carrying an offense but often tires out at the end of games. A secondary offensive creator and shotmaker would improve the 76ers scoring attack dramatically, as Tobias Harris has proven himself to be too inconsistent.

Enter nine-year veteran CJ McCollum. The Trail Blazer is having a productive year for himself in his age-30 season, averaging 20.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 42.4 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. He’s established himself as a bonified scorer in his illustrious career, playing alongside fellow star Damian Lillard.

Currently, the Trail Blazers are staring down a rebuild, currently six games below .500 – good for 11th in the declining Western Conference. The majority of Portland’s roster is constructed to win now, and they simply aren’t. It would be beneficial for the franchise to cut bait on both Lillard and McCollum, as both of them would get back a combination of young players and future draft picks.

CJ suffered a collapsed right lung a few weeks ago, but is fully healed and will get back on the court early next year.

As for his fit on the 76ers, he would be able to slot into the starting lineup right away, likely moving Maxey to the bench if he’s not on his way to Portland. That would allow the second-year player to act as a microwave scorer first and foremost, not having to develop his skills as a traditional point guard at the same time.

For Portland, they would acquire one of the best defensive players in the league, something they’ve been desperately searching for over the past five years. This season, they’re 26th in defensive rating once again, with negative defenders at nearly every position.

This move would also allow them to go through a full rebuild and trade Lillard as well, or attempt to compete while Dame is still in his prime.