How does Ben Simmons 3-team trade involving Miami Heat work? Exploring details of probable deal to land Damian Lillard alongside Jimmy Butler 

There is a possible Ben Simmons three-team trade between the Miami Heat, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Brooklyn Nets, according to Yossi Gozlan from Hoops Hype.

After requesting a trade to the Trail Blazers with 11 seasons played for the franchise, Damian Lillard picked Miami as his preferred landing spot. However, the Heat are lacking convincing assets for Portland to give the go signal on the trade. Tyler Herro in a trade package won't be enough to get the deal done.

This is why another team needs to be involved for Lillard to land on the Heat before the start of the season.

Yossi Gozlan also tweeted out further details regarding the hypothetical trade involving Ben Simmons and Damian Lillard.

It's not certain whether Simmons will be in Portland as Miami continues to acquire Lillard. Gozlan also tweeted about the possibility of a seven-team trade.

In the scenario of a seven-team trade, Gozlan sai that Portland will be taking little to nothing when it comes to newly acquired players.

Ben Simmons to Portland would be another different environment for him, but could prove to be one he thrives in. Last season with the Nets, Simmons returned from a back injury and played 42 games, getting in 26.3 minutes per game. He averaged 6.9 points (56.6% shooting, virtually all inside the lane), 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.

Meanwhile, for Damian Lillard, he has played 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers but has struggled in leading the team to a championship. Be that as it may, Portland has not been able to deliver on iths side of the bargain as it hasn't provided the right pieces around Lillard.

Ben Simmons' stats during his four seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers

Before suffering a number of injuries and playing with lackluster confidence in his overall game, Ben Simmons used to be one of the league's best players.

Despite his limited shotmaking ability, Simmons could do almost anything on the court. Finishing in transition, post-hook shots, playmaking, rebounding and even versatile defense, Ben had the skills to compete.

During his time playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons averaged 15.9 ppg (56.0% shooting), 8.1 rpg and 7.7 apg. He had his best season in 2019-20, when he averaged 16.4 ppg (58.0% shooting), 8.0 apg and 7.8 rpg.

He used to play with a lot of confidence then despite his limited perimeter shooting. Looking back now, because of his injuries and his questionable late-game decisions in the playoffs, Simmons has struggled to return to the player he once was.