Opinion: Ben Simmons Should Be Traded By The Philadelphia 76ers To This Team
Ben Simmons just turned 25 years old; he's been an NBA All-Star three years in a row and he's never missed the Playoffs.
Yet, it appears as if the potential superstar could be on his way out of Philadelphia.
According to Shams Charania reporting in the Athletic, it appears as if Simmons will be traded at some point.
The article from Charania in the Athletic can be read in the hyperlink above, above and two Tweets from the Athletic can be seen embedded below.
Charania reported that the 76ers have had discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors.
Earlier in the off-season, Jason Dumas of Bleacher Reported that the Indiana Pacers offered a trade package of Malcom Brogdon and a first-round pick for Simmons, but the 76ers declined (see Tweet below from Bleacher Report).
Would Simmons make sense on the Pacers?
If the Pacers could somehow get back in the mix, Simmons would be a perfect fit in Indiana.
The Pacers are a team that needs some buzz and excitement surrounding them. Simmons would provide the excitement and is a player that could truly help on the floor.
No one on the Pacers last season averaged more than a 6.7 assists per game (Domantas Sabonis).
Simmons is a career 7.7 assists per game player.
In the rebounding department, Sabonis also led the team (12.0 RPG), but the second best rebounder on the team was Myles Turner (6.5 RPG).
Simmons is a career 8.1 rebonds per game player.
Lastly, the Pacers were abysmal on defense last season. The team surrendered a 26th overall in the NBA 115.7 points per game (via TeamRankings.com).
Simmons was one of the three finalists for Defensive Player of The Year in 2021.
Would the Pacers have a good enough trade package to offer? And are they really that interested is the question.
However, there is good reason to believe that a deal would make sense for both sides.
The 76ers need shooting to surround All-Star Joel Embiid, and Brogdon averaged 21.2 points per game on 38.5% shooting from the three-point range last season.
He would be an ideal player to pair next to Embiid and open the entire floor up, which is something they struggle to do with Simmons.
The Pacers also have an abundance of other role players they could throw into a deal that could potentially entice the 76ers.
Opinion: The Pacers and 76ers should get on the phone.
