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

How the Indiana Pacers’ pursuit of Ben Simmons bears fundamental misfits

Reason #7: Simmons requires a very specific roster construction

To fit a player like Ben Simmons, the team must make it a point to reconfigure the personnel around his strengths and weaknesses. That’s why Philly has undergone a lot of retooling in previous seasons, with Simmons and Joel Embiid’s marginal compatibility making roster building tougher than usual.

Ideally, Simmons is surrounded by floor spacers on all positions, which the Pacers barely have. LeVert can stroke the three-ball, but he’s more effective challenging the defense on aggressive drives to the rim. Warren was a 40 percent three-point shooter in his last full season, but he operates best as a mid-range operator. Myles Turner is a 3-and-D big, but his below average conversion rate makes him a tad more negligible. Domantas Sabonis? No. And speaking of him…

Reason #8: Where does Domas fit into the equation?

Almost assuredly, acquiring Simmons is only one part of the entire transaction pool. After all, breaking the Turner-Sabonis pairing will the become more imminent because of the obvious problems with fit if both big men are retained. Undoubtedly, next to Simmons, Turner’s skillset fits the best, but where does that leave Sabonis, who is the team’s lone All-Star in the past couple of years?

If Indiana goes the likelier route and retains Domas, his fit with Simmons will be a huge question mark. Its no secret that back to the basket centers aren’t the most picturesque pieces to pair with the Australian (see: Embiid, Joel), and his periodic three-point shooting isn’t reliable enough to envision a sustainable match, either. Hence, the Pacers will be embroiled in a certain compromise, where dealing either Turner or Sabonis will come with inevitable risks.