Cavs: 3 players not named Ben Simmons to inquire about – Brandon Ingram
I know this is one that will be really hard to pull off, but I think Ingram would be a great fit with this Cavs team. He’s a career 37% three-point shooter and has improved his scoring average every year since being drafted. This past year he averaged 23.8 points per game.
While he’s not an elite defender, he’s serviceable. Ingram is 6’8 and has a wingspan of 7’3″. He has the ability to alter shots and is athletic enough to stay with most wing players in the NBA. Sure, Ingram isn’t the best defender, but he’s certainly better than Collin Sexton.
On top of that, the Pelicans just fired head coach Stan Van Gundy in June after only one year on the sidelines. The Pelicans thought that SVG was not getting the best out of Zion Williamson, so he was gone. This is a lot like the Damian Lillard situation in Portland. Maybe the Pelicans should change the scenery around Williamson. Zion is a supremely athletic big man, who needs space to operate. He will surely draw double-teams. With him getting doubled, Sexton and Love, who is still a good shooter, can find their spots and hit open shots.
If the Pelicans were to add another sure scorer in Sexton, while also being able to pick up Kevin Love in the process, it would be viewed as a win for most of the front office members in New Orleans. Ingram and Sexton are both very good players, but just don’t seem like fits with their current teams. So why not swap them?
Conclusion
Overall, there are just a lot of players out there who are just simply better than Ben Simmons, and have more to offer than him. A guy like Jonathan Isaac would immediately make the Cavs an elite defensive team. On the other hand, if they can land Ingram or McCollum, their offensive play could take off.
I have been very open in saying I’m not a fan of Simmons. The point guard is the quarterback of the team. If he can’t step up to make big shots or hit clutch free throws, he’s not an elite point guard in my opinion. Honestly, Simmons should look at changing positions completely. It’s certainly not out of the question. So before the Cavs go all-in on Simmons, they should check around the league to see who’s available.