Trade Rumors: Revisiting pros and cons of a Ben Simmons trade

Revisiting pros and cons for Cavs of a Ben Simmons trade: Pros

Ben Simmons is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defense selection. When he plays the 76ers have a 178-97 record; when he doesn’t they’re basically a .500 squad. His fit is clunky (we’ll get into that) and his playoff foibles are prominent, but he has been a major component of the 76ers winning a lot of games over the past four seasons.

He would immediately slot in as the backup point guard and secondary creator alongside Darius Garland, kicking Rajon Rondo to the curb. Assuming Lauri Markkanen is a part of the deal, he would step in as the starting 3 and give the Cavs an absolutely wicked defensive lineup of Isaac Okoro (if he’s still on the team), Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

On bench units he could run the show with Kevin Love at the 5 helping to space the court. He would juice the transition attack of one of the league’s slower teams, and just like Ricky Rubio set up outside shooters with passes right into their shooting pocket.

Simmons is under contract for another four seasons, meaning the Cavs will have a good young player around for years to come. Just 25 years old he can match the timeline of their young core and set them up for success moving forward. Defensively he can guard every position and offensively he will be a connective option handling from the wing.