Indiana Pacers: 10 reasons why trading for Ben Simmons is a step backwards

The Indiana Pacers recently find themselves on the rumor mill after reportedly pursuing Ben Simmons in a trade, offering to give up Malcolm Brogdon and a first-round pick in the process (no pun intended). As trade rumors are usually overblown, the smart fan needs to take everything with a grain of salt. However, one thing’s for sure: Indiana will not stand idle this offseason.

While Simmons has drawn a lot of flak recently due to his subpar playoff outings, most notably in their Conference Semifinals loss against heavy underdogs Atlanta, the 24-year-old still possesses tremendous upside as one of the league’s most unique talents. In his young career, he already boasts three All-Star selections and a pair of All-Defensive First Team berths to his name.

The Indiana Pacers’ pursuit of Ben Simmons is encouraging, but equally risky

Although fans of the Blue and Gold have long clamored about how the front office should be warmer to the notion of change, the recent news of the Simmons-Brogdon swap raised more eyebrows from both sides. While the Indiana Pacers’ pursuit of the disgruntled All-Star is indeed telling that the team is ready for bold moves, a shakeup of that magnitude, especially with the Australian’s questionable fit with the team, may spawn more fireworks than logic.

Hypothetically speaking, acquiring Ben Simmons would be monumental and will come with a lot of perks for the franchise, but all those positives get into a deadlock with the downsides since pursuing him similarly comes with a bunch of caveats. Here are ten reasons why trading for him would be a step backwards for Indy.