The Cleveland Cavaliers have been connected in recent rumors to a concerning buyout candidate.
Cleveland holds the top record in the NBA, beating the Detroit Pistons on a Darius Garland buzzer-beater from halfcourt to move up to 41-10. Since the season's halfway point, the Cavaliers have seen a slip in defensive impact, falling to 24th in Defensive Rating throughout January. A string of injuries to the Cavs' top perimeter defenders and a handful of matchups against fellow contenders likely caused the fall-off, but such a drastic decline is nonetheless a worrisome trend for an aspiring championship roster.
Unsurprisingly, the Cavaliers' mid-season priority in trades and buyout signings centers around defense. Cleveland has boasted the NBA's best offense all season, making that end of the court less of a concern than the other. A dynamic backcourt in Donovan Mitchell and Garland pushes opponents to the limit, and the frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is proving they can coexist on offense. Alongside a confident bench unit, the Cavs look unstoppable at times on offense.
As the trade deadline comes to a close, the Cavaliers are already looking beyond into upcoming free agents who could exit their contract early. While Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball was a promising candidate at first, the veteran guard signed a two-year extension, taking him off the table.
Instead, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic believes the Cavs could position themselves to offer a chance at redemption at an overpriced former star.
Cavaliers linked to former Philadelphia 76ers All-Star
Lloyd, a Cavaliers insider and renowned sports journalist, recently spoke on the Cavs' buyout plans while speaking to Mike Lucas of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. The duo is composed of the two most Cavs-oriented members of UCSS, making their insights on Cleveland's deadline plans a worthwhile discussion.
Rather than chasing a major name in trades, Lloyd focused on what the Cavs could do after the fact, namely signing Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets if he is indeed bought out by the franchise. Simmons began his career with potential to be the next face of the league, stealing Rookie of the Year from Cleveland's Mitchell after missing the entirety of his rookie season. Mitchell, with the Utah Jazz at the time, competed with Simmons the entire year for the award, ultimately falling short.
Now, though, Simmons has become a laughingstock across the Association. Though paid $40 million this season, the former All-Star is hardly seen as worth anything more than the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. If Simmons exits from Brooklyn, Lloyd reported the Cavs have already had internal discussions around how the 6-foot-10 guard could impact Cleveland as a late addition.
Despite Simmons' lackluster offense, he is undoubtedly still one of the smartest passers in the NBA and can shut down nearly anybody on defense. With the Nets, Simmons has averaged 6.3 points, 7 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 25.2 minutes of action per game. If the Cavaliers sign him, his role in Cleveland would likely place him in the frontcourt rather than the backcourt, helping Mobley and Allen protect the rim. Offensively, Simmons would serve as an alternate hub, orchestrating the offense to lead to an open shot for someone else.
Simmons could also be a productive answer to the Cavs' rebounding woes. Even with two seven-footers in the starting lineup, the Cavaliers rank 13th in rebounds per game, a constant problem in recent years. The former Sixers star could solve this.
The positives of Ben Simmons are intriguing, but the cause of his fall from stardom and grace is still concerning.
Ben Simmons has repeatedly shown a disinterest in committing himself to winning basketball, and his chronic back injuries have exaggerated this frustrating cycle. While some of Simmons' absences have been out of his control, he is undoubtedly a burdensome player to manage.
In 2021, Simmons was fined tens of millions of dollars by Philadelphia for refusal to play and other dramatics. He made it clear he wanted to exit the franchise and was not afraid to play tug of war. Though Simmons has avoided similar issues, he has never returned to his former prowess and is not likely to come close any time soon.
The Cleveland Cavaliers would be better off taking chances with another buyout candidate or making a deadline trade for a two-way wing. Still, if Cleveland's recent interest in De'Andre Hunter does not materialize into a deal, then Simmons could be a reasonable pivot as a buyout signing. So long as the Cavaliers do not depend on Simmons to be a real difference-maker, there is little harm he could bring as an end-of-rotation role player.