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#3 Philadelphia 76ers
Basically, the entire NBA Free Agency period of 2021 for the Philadelphia 76ers will be dictated by Ben Simmons' situation and a likely trade. If the Philadelphia 76ers can finally solve the Simmons dilemma and acquire value that would make them a contender, they will have had a successful window.
However, they have not yet agreed on a deal regarding Simmons, and the Australian guard has reportedly cut communications with the Sixers organization. Trading Simmons seems to be a sure thing for Philadelphia before the next NBA season, but the team's front office might be asking for too much in return.
While all the attention around Philadelphia seems to be on Simmons, the team have signed Andre Drummond and Danny Green, among others. But the 76ers' management seem to be fully invested in improving the team only through Simmons' trade.
#2 San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs were on the verge of reaching the NBA Playoffs last season, but they fell in the NBA Play-In tournament against the Memphis Grizzlies and saw their season end.
In the 2021 NBA Free Agency, some important pieces in Gregg Popovich's team were available for the rest of the team. Players like DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay have already chosen to leave San Antonio.
The Spurs might continue to struggle in free agency as they have not landed a big name since LaMarcus Aldridge joined in 2015. They've been described as a potential landing spot for Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons, and they have acquired various draft assets to put together a good combo.
However, the Australian's situation has not been resolved yet, as the Sixers are reportedly looking for a huge package in exchange. They are also rumored to be waiting for Damian Lillard's situation with the Portland Trail Blazers to be resolved.
#1 Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard has reportedly been unhappy with the Portland Trail Blazers since their run in the 2021 NBA Playoffs ended. Lillard himself addressed the media after reports of him asking for a trade, and clearly said that the team needed to improve for the upcoming campaign.
If Lillard was unhappy before the 2021 NBA Free Agency started, the situation seems to be getting even worse as the Blazers have not been big players in the off-season. The team has missed out (if they even took a swing) on several names that would've definitely helped their cause for next year if they wanted to keep Lillard happy. Moreover, they have not been active on the trade market either.
Signing Norman Powell to return to Portland was usually indicated as something that could've caused the Blazers to trade C.J. McCollum. This would have helped them improve other areas within the team, with Powell playing the shooting guard position. However, nothing regarding McCollum has been reported yet.
Powell signed a five-year, $90-million deal with the franchise and is one of four confirmed deals for Portland in NBA Free Agency. Others include Tony Snell, Cody Zeller and Ben McLemore.
Is that enough to keep Lillard? Or are the Trail Blazers preparing for a blockbuster trade that includes Lillard and Ben Simmons? We will have to wait awhile to find out.
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