Damian Lillard’s Trade Request To Miami Heat Drawing Comparisons To Ben Simmons’ Situation With Philadelphia 76ers

Damian Lillard could be forced to sit out part of next season due to the Portland Trailblazers’ leverage

The situation surrounding Damian Lillard's future with the Portland Trail Blazers is beginning to resemble when Ben Simmons played for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The parallel was highlighted on a recent episode of NBA Today by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. She reported, "I just talked to two GMs this morning who said essentially we might be looking at another Ben Simmons situation here."

Ramona Shelburne says Damian Lillard’s situation with Portland could end up like Ben Simmons’ situation with Philadelphia a few years ago

(h/t @dru_star ) pic.twitter.com/YeAIJRBYqy

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 11, 2023

In August of 2021, Simmons officially requested a trade from the 76ers due to disagreements with the organization and teammates. Despite his request, he remained with the team until February of the following year. During this period, Philadelphia did not feel compelled to make a hasty trade since they held the upper hand with Simmons still under contract. As a result, Simmons sat out until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden.

"This guy's [Lillard] got 4 years on his contract," Shelburne said. "They don’t have to do anything. They can take their time."

Portland has the upper hand in this situation because they could wait until next year’s trade deadline if they desire. While Simmons did not express a preference for a particular team, reports indicate that Lillard only wants to play for the Miami Heat.

This distinction adds another layer of complexity to Lillard's situation, as it limits the number of trade destinations and further lengthens the process of trading him. Lillard’s trade has the potential to span over six months, just as Simmons’ did, forcing him to miss part of next season.

Anthony Pasciolla is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at anthonypasciolla36@gmail.com or follow him on Tik Tok @anthonysports_