It has been a busy off-season for many franchises. While some teams have signed many top players, some teams have been signing rookies. Portland Trail Blazers lost Carmelo Anthony from their roster along with six other players. But they have had five incomings as well. However, multiple reports suggest that Damian Lillard could leave the Trail Blazers ahead of the new season.

According to reports, the Philadelphia 76ers are finding it hard to keep Ben Simmons for the new season and they would only trade him to Portland Trail Blazers if Damian Lillard is involved. The Sixers have been quiet in the off-season and have added four players to their roster so far.

Sam Mitchell feels CJ McCollum would be a perfect signing for the Sixers and not Damian Lillard

The 2007 NBA Coach of the Year winner, Sam Mitchell, has shared his thoughts on the rumors revolving around the Damian Lillard-Ben Simmons trade deal. Sam feels the Sixers should prefer CJ McCollum in the trade deal instead of Damian Lillard.

“If you can get CJ McCollum for Ben Simmons, I’d do that in a heartbeat,” Sam Mitchell said on the SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“Since the day he walked into the NBA out of college, he’s been a productive player… Think about what people think of CJ McCollum. The players elected him president of the players’ association.”

Sam Mitchell’s last coaching duty in the NBA was as an interim coach at his former team, Minnesota Timberwolves. CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, both have been with the Portland Trail Blazers since the start of their career. They have helped in building the team through the years.

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CJ McCollum won NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2016, while Damian Lillard has been a six-time All-Star. According to the reports, the Sixers want Lillard in the trade deal for Ben Simmons, But Sam Mitchell feels CJ McCollum would be a better signing. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out in the coming days. What do you think?