

Again, it’s wonky, but worth thinking about.Īs dynamic and good of a player as Ben is, he isn’t an elite driver at the moment (11.4 drives per 75) and Malcolm Brogdon is (15.2 drives per 75). On top of that, Brogdon and Warren are both sub All-Star talents who the Pacers have no real replacement for. If there were a subsequent deal with one of the bigs to bring in more perimeter talent, I think it makes sense, but the team can already struggle in halfcourt or late clock scoring situations. While I normally am talent over everything, the fit is just so wonky with a frontcourt of Sabonis/Turner/Simmons. This is so tough because A.) I love what this does for Philadelphia B.) Ben Simmons is the most talented player in the deal, the youngest, and on a long term contract all things that would behoove the Pacers’ braintrust to make this trade. While the Pacers get a new foundational star, the 76ers get a starting point guard who can shoot and a wing bucket-getter who can immediately help Embiid in the playoffs. It could be worth it to cash in a few pieces for a 25-year-old All-Star who is under contract long term, and then figure out the rest of the roster around him later.
WHO REPLACED BEN SIMMONS FREE
Simmons is the type of player a franchise like the Pacers would be unlikely to land in free agency. This team is positioned to “win-now” with most of the rotation in its prime, but their ceiling isn’t all that high. Why it might work: The Pacers finished ninth in the Eastern Conference last year, and their big addition of the offseason was head coach Rick Carlisle. Pacersįramework of the deal: Malcolm Brogdon and T.J. Here are nine deals we thought could make sense. As we learned, it isn’t easy to find a deal that satisfies the 76ers’ win-now desires while also making sense for the other side. This was a fun exercise when we did it with James Harden a year ago, but the polarizing nature of Simmons’ game made this an even bigger challenge. Since that’s where most of the negotiation on these deals will take place, we chose to keep it vague rather than come up with specific pick protections.Īt the bottom of this story, Paul Hudrick from our 76ers community Liberty Ballers ranked his favorite proposed trade packages.

WHO REPLACED BEN SIMMONS SERIES
It was painful to watch Simmons at times during the series as he consistently bricked free throws and refused to attempt almost any fourth quarter shot - even a wide open dunk. Ben Simmons’ days in Philadelphia have felt numbered ever since his woeful offensive performance contributed to the 76ers’ surprising second round loss to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021 NBA Playoffs.
