The Ben Simmons drama continues.
It was recently reported that the Philadelphia 76ers offered a deal to the Trail Blazers that would have seen Simmons head to Portland for CJ McCollum, three first-round picks, and three draft swaps.
Portland politely said "Nah."
It's looking less and less likely that any team is going to take the leap and sign Ben Simmons in this off-season, which means there is a good chance that Philly and Simmons will be stuck together or forced to agree to a less-than-ideal trade. This Portland proposal might have been one of the 76ers last chances to lose Simmons,
But can you blame Portland for taking a pass? When you look at the numbers, Simmons is something of an upgrade over McCollum. But in other far more important ways, he's a huge downgrade.
As you can see Simmons has been better both offensively and defensively in many ways (although, surprisingly, McCollum has him beat in rebounds) but it's not by a whole lot. However, there is no way on Earth Portland was ever going to agree to this trade.
Why? It's not just because of point output or offensive and defensive ratings. Simply put, the players and executives working in Portland truly love CJ McCollum. He has always been a valued and respected part of the team and, in many ways, the heart and soul of the Blazers. He's even-tempered, calm, respectful, and an all-around good guy. The thought of trading him for the mercurial Simmons, a player who is stubbornly crossing his arms and refusing to play on a team he doesn't like anymore, is ridiculous.
Even if Simmons was far, far better than McCollum, this trade wouldn't have happened. If these last few weeks have proven anything, it's that Ben Simmons can be hard to work with and hard to handle. That is certainly not true for CJ McCollum.
The search for a new home for Ben Simmons continues. And the clock is ticking.
The Ben Simmons drama continues.
It was recently reported that the Philadelphia 76ers offered a deal to the Trail Blazers that would have seen Simmons head to Portland for CJ McCollum, three first-round picks, and three draft swaps.
Portland politely said "Nah."
It's looking less and less likely that any team is going to take the leap and sign Ben Simmons in this off-season, which means there is a good chance that Philly and Simmons will be stuck together or forced to agree to a less-than-ideal trade. This Portland proposal might have been one of the 76ers last chances to lose Simmons,
But can you blame Portland for taking a pass? When you look at the numbers, Simmons is something of an upgrade over McCollum. But in other far more important ways, he's a huge downgrade.
As you can see Simmons has been better both offensively and defensively in many ways (although, surprisingly, McCollum has him beat in rebounds) but it's not by a whole lot. However, there is no way on Earth Portland was ever going to agree to this trade.
Why? It's not just because of point output or offensive and defensive ratings. Simply put, the players and executives working in Portland truly love CJ McCollum. He has always been a valued and respected part of the team and, in many ways, the heart and soul of the Blazers. He's even-tempered, calm, respectful, and an all-around good guy. The thought of trading him for the mercurial Simmons, a player who is stubbornly crossing his arms and refusing to play on a team he doesn't like anymore, is ridiculous.
Even if Simmons was far, far better than McCollum, this trade wouldn't have happened. If these last few weeks have proven anything, it's that Ben Simmons can be hard to work with and hard to handle. That is certainly not true for CJ McCollum.
The search for a new home for Ben Simmons continues. And the clock is ticking.
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