Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Myles Turner, G Buddy Hield
Indiana Pacers Receive: G/F Ben Simmons
So, about that fit for Simmons in Indiana…
This deal sees the Indiana Pacers move two of the players we identified as being vital to that arrangement. Here, the organization is uncharacteristically playing the long game. Simmons is only a year younger than Turner, but the Pacers may determine that he has a higher upside.
They have some quality young big men in Isaiah Jackon and Jalen Smith: they may decide that Turner is expendable in the bigger picture.
If that’s their driving philosophy, they’ll have no issue parting with Hield. At 29, he’s unlikely to evolve into anything more than he already is: an elite floor-spacer who provides little else. It feels likely that he found his way to Indiana by way of matching salaries in the Haliburton/Sabonis swap.
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The Brooklyn Nets could surely use his floor spacing. They could also use Myles Turner’s 3-and-D skillset. This trade leaves them with the deepest, most balanced team they’ve had in the Durant/Irving era.
The offense would revolve around the two superstars as originally intended. With such a deep roster surrounding them, that shouldn’t be an issue.
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It feels possible that the Nets aren’t settled on Simmons. They may have been backed into a corner by Harden and forced to take the best value they could find. If that’s the case, either one of these trades could stand to benefit both of the organizations involved.
