Pacers Urged to Sign All-Star Free Agent as Tyrese Haliburton Replacement

The Indiana Pacers have been urged to sign a three-time All-Star guard to replace injured All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

But there's a catch: it's Ben Simmons.

In a new piece, Michael Pina of The Ringer lays out a spirited case for Indiana taking a flier on the former L.A. Clippers reserve, who's somehow long past his prime despite being all of 29 years old.

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It seems that a litany of back and leg injuries have robbed Simmons of the athleticism and tenacity that had been his trademark with the Philadelphia 76ers. During his absolute prime with Philadelphia, the 6-foot-10 guard was once an All-Defensive stalwart capable of locking down any player, at any position.

On other end, Simmons was a great passer and explosive finisher, although he had no jumper to speak of even during his peak.

That said, Pina earmarked Indiana as an ideal NBA destination for Simmons at this juncture. The Pacers are without Haliburton for the entire season, a sad reality the team revealed earlier this offseason, as he recovers from an Achilles tendon rupture suffered at the worst possible time — Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Indiana's current, stated plan was to shift starting shooting guard Andrew Nembhard down a position to serve as Haliburton's replacement at the point. But Pina thinks trotting out Simmons, who like Haliburton is a full court, oversized, pass-first point guard, might be worth a gander.

"I think there’s a perfect NBA team for him, though. One last chance for him to do something on a regular basis in a semi-relevant situation," Pina writes. "Why not become the starting point guard for the Indiana Pacers? Throw Simmons the keys, ask him to impersonate Tyrese Haliburton, and just see what happens? This roster was built to accommodate and emphasize a pass-first point guard who races up and down the court."

Pina submits that, given the relatively reduced stakes for Indiana this year without Haliburton or a starting-caliber center after Myles Turner defected for the Milwaukee Bucks, it may be worth the relatively light risk.

Unlike Indiana's 2024-25 starting lineup, however, Simmons absolute cannot make a jump shot.

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"It’s a no-lose situation for Indy," Pina allows. "Yes, nobody will guard Simmons when he doesn’t have the ball, which is one of several key differences between him and the All-Star he’d be replacing. But if Simmons stinks, no harm, no foul! He’d be on a veteran’s minimum contract for a team with zero expectations until Haliburton’s Achilles recovers."

Two familiar faces would be waiting for Simmons were general manager Kevin Pritchard to bring him aboard: longtime reserve point guard T.J. McConnell, who backed up Simmons on the 76ers, and former Philadelphia assistant coach Lloyd Pierce, who now works on Rick Carlisle's bench.

Granted, the Pacers do have 15 players signed to their standard roster, but Pina observes that the team could pretty easily waive a minimum deal to make room for Simmons.

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