Now that everybody knows that Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons wants out, there will be even more trade rumors and trade suggestions until the day the Sixers finally move the disgruntled star.

Philadelphia has had a high asking price for the 3-time All-Star, but now that Simmons has asked for a trade, the team does not have much leverage. They are going to have move the 25-year old for almost pennies on the dollar in order to avoid an awkward situation out on the floor.

However, there could still be some hope. In a new trade suggestion put out by Bleacher Report, they have Simmons being moved to the Memphis Grizzlies in a 3-team deal that also includes the Portland Trail Blazers.

  • Sixers get: Damian Lillard
  • Grizzlies get: Ben Simmons, 2023 second-round pick (via PHI), 2023 second-round pick (via ATL, CHA or BRK, from PHI)
  • Trail Blazers get: Jaren Jackson Jr., Matisse Thybulle, Dillon Brooks, Jaden Springer, De’Anthony Melton, 2022 first-round pick (via PHI), 2024 first-round pick swap (via PHI), 2026 first-round pick swap (via PHI) and 2027 first-round pick (via PHI)

B/R on Philadelphia’s role in the deal:

Saying all of that, it’s tricky to build a bridge between the Blazers and Sixers, assuming a simple Lillard-for-Simmons swap wouldn’t move the needle for Portland. That’s where this gets funky, as the Grizzlies get in on the fun by landing Simmons and helping the Sixers provide the Blazers with a boatload of rebuilding tools.

Philadelphia would unload almost all of its assets in this exchange, but the payoff could be enormous. Putting Lillard atop the roster with Joel Embiid might give the Sixers their long-awaited path out of the Eastern Conference. Their two-man actions would be basketball magic, and both can call their own shots while the other catches a breather or spots up off the ball.

At this point, a Lillard deal is probably not happening. The Trail Blazers are not making him available any time soon and the Sixers do not have much time to wait for Lillard to actually request a trade the way Simmons did. Philadelphia will have to put the Lillard dream to rest and they will have to almost settle for a deal for Simmons to avoid a potential disaster to begin the season.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!