Ben Simmons would be the perfect trade piece for the Indiana Pacers

All offseason, there will be rumors and speculation surrounding the Indiana Pacers as they attempt to bounce back from a disastrous season. With Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Malcolm Brogdon all being worthy trade candidates, there will certainly be some exciting packages that could lend a hand to the Pacers.

Ben Simmons had a disappointing playoff run and his time with the 76ers appears to be over. The jokes are about as common as last year’s Paul George comments and for good reason. Simmons was a liability for Philadelphia as they choked away the series to Nate McMillan’s Atlanta Hawks.

Should the Indiana Pacers trade for Ben Simmons?

Indiana really shifted their focus last season from a defensive-minded team to one that scored at a high clip but could not defend whatsoever. Most of the roster is set to return next season, leaving many of the same concerns still at the table.

While Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren, and Domantas Sabonis will handle the scoring, the defensive end of the floor is still a major concern. Potentially trading Sabonis or Brogdon as part of a package to bring in Ben Simmons should interest Pacers fans. Regardless of how poor of a shooter he is, Simmons would clean up a lot of other issues for Indiana.

In either trade scenario, whether the Pacers move Sabonis or Brogdon, Simmons would be the primary ball-handler that creates shots for others. Despite not posing a threat from the perimeter, Simmons is an excellent slasher and passer with a ton of size at his disposal. Offensively, Simmons would open things up for LeVert and Warren while allowing Brogdon to play off-ball where he belongs.

The real kicker for this type of move is the defensive impact of Simmons. He was a unanimous All-Defensive First Team selection last season and arguably deserved the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award but ultimately lost it to Rudy Gobert. Simmons is perhaps the best perimeter defender in the league and has the size to guard anyone on the floor.

It was clear that Indiana lacked that sort of defending last season even with Myles Turner in the lineup. While Turner is a good perimeter defender and elite rim protector, Indiana does not have anyone that is capable of defending at a high level on the perimeter.

Simmons also provides size and length that allows him to haul in rebounds and get into transition in a hurry. Over his four-year career, Simmons is averaging 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. His shooting ability may be nonexistent but he can attack the basket as well as anyone, which is why he has shot 56 percent from the floor in his career.

Coming up with an exact trade is difficult given we do not fully understand Simmons’ value after his latest playoff showing. Philadelphia will probably look to move him this summer as they search for a dynamic scorer to pair with Joel Embiid but trading a high-ceiling defender at just age 24 is tough to accomplish.

Portland seems to be a popular team to make a big trade to make Damian Lillard happy but trading CJ McCollum might not do the trick. That leaves the door open for the Pacers to ship off Brogdon or Sabonis in a deal to bring Simmons in. They would also likely have to throw in Jeremy Lamb for money reasons but his time in Indiana seems up regardless.

Hypothetically, the Pacers could roll out a lineup of Brogdon, Simmons, LeVert, Warren, and Turner next season. That gives Indiana two elite defenders and three prominent scorers in the starting five.

Similarly, a lineup of Simmons, LeVert, Warren, Sabonis, and Turner would give Indiana a ton of size but the shooting from the outside would be horrendous, especially if Doug McDermott does not return. Trading Brogdon for Simmons likely leads to another move in the summer in which the Pacers trade one of their centers.

Ben Simmons would be a fun fit in Indiana despite his lack of scoring. With as many holes as Indiana currently has, grabbing a player like Simmons would solve a lot of problems.