The Indiana Pacers are reportedly a sleeper in the Ben Simmons saga

Ben Simmons was the story of the offseason around the NBA and the Indiana Pacers were at the forefront of some of the rumors. As the offseason slowed down, so did the Simmons speculation. Now that training camps are underway across the league, those rumors are running rampant in Philadelphia.

The 76ers did not pay Simmons over $8 million that was due at the start of camp, leaving his future with the team even further in doubt. With the NBA season tipping off in less than a month, time is winding down for the 76ers to find a trade partner.

Are the Indiana Pacers still targeting Ben Simmons?

According to Brian Windhorst, the Pacers are a sleeper to watch in regards to a Ben Simmons trade. The two teams reportedly had preliminary discussions earlier this summer that would have sent the All-Defensive guard/forward to Indiana to help their perimeter defending.

Indiana does still have their own future first-round picks and has an abundance of assets, albeit nothing that fans will agree upon. A deal is likely to include Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, or T.J. Warren as the key piece heading to Philly and that’s a high price to pay for a player that does not shoot, at least as some fans see it.

Minnesota and Portland have also been linked to Simmons quite a bit lately but they may not be able to offer quite what the Pacers can, so long as Indiana is willing to throw in one of the aforementioned players, if not multiple.

The Pacers are an interesting fit for Simmons right now. His arrival would limit some of the spacing on offense while also adding a lot of size and length to the defensive end, creating a bit of a mess in the frontcourt if Turner and Sabonis are both around.

Ben Simmons is the hottest name in the NBA right now so at least the Pacers are getting in on the action and showing that maybe they are not all that afraid to take risks. Regardless of how you view Simmons as a player, you cannot dispute his impact as a defender. Indiana could desperately use him on that end of the floor to help Myles Turner.

This is a situation to monitor as training camps ramp up and preseason exhibitions begin. A trade for Simmons needs to come quickly if the Pacers want to have him in time for the season opener, especially given the current injury situation.

Will the Pacers actually make a move to try and secure Ben Simmons in a blockbuster deal?