NBA Rumors: Damian Lillard Open to Joining Forces With Ben Simmons

The Portland Trail Blazers went into the 2021-2022 NBA season believing they could be title contenders. So far, nothing has gone according to plan. 

Twenty-four games into the new season, Portland has underwhelmed under new head coach Chauncey Billups. With an 11-13 record, the Blazers hardly pose a threat in the Western Conference.

On top of their early-season struggles, the Blazers also had to conduct a private investigation, which led to the firing of their longtime President of Basketball Operations, Neil Olshey. 

Now, the Blazers are searching for a new leader in their front office while allowing Olshey's assistant general manager Joe Cronin run the show for the time being.

Considering Olshey's out of Portland now, many believe that can lead to significant changes on the roster. For the Sixers, that's good news as they've talked shop with the Blazers months ago regarding a possible Ben Simmons trade.

However, it seems their chances of potentially landing their top target, Damian Lillard, haven't increased despite everything that's transpired lately.

According to Shams Charania of The Atheltic, Lillard seems open to seeing things through with the Blazers. As he's been loyal to Portland ever since entering the NBA in 2012, his feelings towards the organization haven't waivered at this point.

While a Lillard-Simmons swap remains unlikely right now, Charania reports that the six-time All-Star would welcome playing with the disgruntled Sixers star.

"Lillard intends to give the Trail Blazers organization time to find its next leader of basketball operations. But beyond the front office component, the face of the franchise still wants significant changes to the roster. Multiple sources have told The Athletic that Lillard would like to play with Philadelphia 76ers three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. The Trail Blazers’ league-worst defense would instantly improve, and sharing a backcourt with a non-shooter could work given Lillard’s high-volume usage."

Lillard's interest in teaming up with Simmons is both good and bad news for the Sixers. For obvious reasons, it's unfortunate that one of Philly's top trade targets is still unwilling to part ways with his current organization. And even if he does decide to request a trade to get out of Portland, he might consider asking to land with another team before giving Philadelphia a thought.

On the other hand, Lillard's interest in playing alongside Simmons could re-open talks between the Sixers and the Blazers regarding a potential CJ McCollum-led package. Months ago, the Sixers and the Blazers reportedly discussed a deal, including McCollum, multiple draft picks, and swaps. However, the Blazers rejected it.

Perhaps, Portland's revamped front office finds more motivation to unload McCollum and more in a deal for Simmons to make Lillard happy. While the Sixers wouldn't get their All-Star target, they could land a valuable player who can help them now plus draft capital while washing their hands of the Simmons saga.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.