Coming off of a brutal postseason run, Ben Simmons may be on the trade block. According to a recent report, the Philadelphia 76ers fielded an offer from the Indiana Pacers recently, but turned it down.
The Pacers reportedly offered up Malcolm Brogdon, a solid wing with a good defensive reputation, who averaged a career high 21.2 points per game this season, as well as a first-round pick. Even with Simmons’ persistent offensive struggles, he has a higher ceiling than Brogdon. Philly won’t want to give him up and risk him finding his maximum potential elsewhere for less than a superstar package.
One Pacers beat reporter thinks the report says more about Philadelphia than it does about Indiana. He admits that the package probably isn’t worth it for the Sixers, so he’s not surprised that they’d turn it down, if it was legit.
Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files appeared on the Setting The Pace podcast on Friday. While he says he’s not a huge Ben Simmons fan, Indiana would have to consider that trade. He thinks this whole situation is more about the 76ers setting a market for their former No. 1 pick.
We released a pod yesterday with @AlexGoldenNBA & @ScottAgness!
The guys look at some of the assistants that have been linked to IND, the Brogdon for Simmons leaked rumor & potential roster moves this offseason.
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— Setting The Pace🏀🎙 (@SettingThePace3) July 3, 2021
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“I just laugh at that. I don’t waste my time with some of that stuff,” Agness said. “That deal, if it was actually legit, it doesn’t have enough value if you’re Philly, in my opinion.
“If you do want to talk about that type of deal, the Pacers would absolutely have to consider it, because a guy of that caliber, you’re not going to get in free agency. So via trade, and if you want to upgrade, he would fit the bill. It’s out there for a reason, and it’s to try and create a market for Ben Simmons, if anything.”
Agness says that the Indiana Pacers “never” leak potential deals like this, unlike teams like the Danny Ainge-led Boston Celtics, who were the masters of the “what if” deal in recent years.
“Here’s what we know about Indiana, by the way. They never put that stuff out. They would never leak anything.”
Doc Rivers was asked about the trade rumors this week, saying that he wants Simmons back in Philly. “I think he doesn’t need a lot of fixing,” the Philadelphia 76ers head coach said. “He’s gonna be great for us. He’ll be great.”
The post Pacers Insider Shares Revealing Details On Ben Simmons Trade Rumor appeared first on The Spun.
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