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

How the Indiana Pacers’ pursuit of Ben Simmons only plays to Philly’s benefit

Reason #9: Ultimately, Brogdon fits better with the Pacers

By most accounts, Malcolm Brogdon is the better player in the Pacers context. His skillset, most especially his perimeter defense, smart playmaking and reliable outside shooting meshes well with the personnel that Indiana has in store. His off-ball impact also gives him the edge with the seamless fit he provides as an offensive catalyst, allowing the team to not soak into bold changes to accommodate a tougher star to incorporate in Ben Simmons.

Already in his prime, the heady playmaker is playing the best basketball of his career, and better yet, his contract is a lot more reasonable than Simmons’. Also, with Rick Carlisle manning a roster he recently described as “his kind of team”, shaking things up in the wake of a new coaching hire is counterintuitive and risks a familiarity-driven team chemistry.

Reason #10: Indiana shouldn’t aid a conference rival

Complicit with the previous reason, the Pacers should avoid lending a helping hand to a direct conference rival. There’s a reason why trading with teams from the same conference is frowned upon in the NBA. As things currently stand, the 76ers are heads and shoulders above the team in theory and in practice, at least with last season’s Indiana team as the benchmark.

While the Pacers are projected to be in the thick of the playoff race this season, the goal is to win in the postseason. For that to happen, they can only hope for a bunch of dominoes to fall their way, but clearly, they don’t want to be the one that induces it to fall favorably for other teams, especially those who are above them in the pecking order. Being the good guy and sending Brogdon to the 76ers, with which he fits perfectly with, is competition malpractice.