Can the Detroit Pistons get Ben Simmons? There is a way

The  off-season is basically completed for the Detroit Pistons and other NBA teams. All the big names either have decided to stay where they are, or already signed contracts with new teams. However, there is one bit of unfinished big business.

Where in the NBA world is Ben Simmons going to play this season?

The 6-foot-10 Australian is a three-time NBA All-Star, finished second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year, and is just 25-years-old. He also just signed a long term deal, so he is locked up for a while.

However, he turtled up on offense in the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. He set an NBA playoff record for lowest free throw percentage. Importantly, in Game 7 against the Hawks he passed up a wide-open dunk to pass off to a player with a tougher shot, in a crucial part of the game.

After the shocking loss by the No. 1 seeded Sixers to the No. 5 Hawks, star center Joel Embiid and coach Doc Rivers criticized Simmons’ performance. Simmons was hurt by this and, reportedly, has cut off all communication with the team.

To have Simmons come back to the 76ers this year would be difficult, to say the least. Everyone on all sides seems to be hurt and unhappy. Moving Simmons seems like the only thing the Sixers can do at this point.

However, with a $33 million salary for this year, and with most NBA teams having used up all their cap space, it will not be an easy task to find a new home for Simmons. Additionally, 76ers GM Daryl Morey wants real value, they do not want to just give away a three-time All-Star.

Could Ben Simmons land with the Detroit Pistons?

Pistons general manager Troy Weaver always says he stays aggressive and ’empties his clip’ . Getting Ben Simmons would certainly be an aggressive move. How about a backcourt of 6-8 Cade Cunningham and 6-10 Simmons? That would give a lot of teams problems.

There would be two major issues with Simmons coming to the Pistons:

1. Detroit is already over the salary cap, so would have to create space to accommodate his contract.
2. They already have a point guard who is a poor shooter but good passer and defensive player in Killian Hayes.

Let’s look at each hurdle:

Salary cap

For this year, and this year only, the Pistons have a salary cap problem. How does a team that went 20-52 have so little space in its salary cap? It is called Blake Griffin.

Even though he is with the Nets, Detroit must shell out a significant portion of his old contract this season. Griffin is one of five players whose contracts are ‘dead money’ in the Pistons salary cap. Literally paying something for nothing.

So, even though GM Troy Weaver got very good value on his free agent signings, the Pistons are still, due to the dead money, $11.4 million over the cap for 2021-22, according to Spotrac.

Being over the cap, a straight trade for Simmons from Philly is out of the question. They can not handle the players that Detroit would have to dump, to accept Simmons salary.

Outside of Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and Cade Cunningham, everyone on the team makes less than $6 million for this year. Good negotiating on Weaver’s part but making it hard to absorb one big salary.

A third party with lots of cap space, who is not looking to win this season, and loves to get draft picks would be the perfect facilitator. Oh, that fits Weaver’s old team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, perfectly.

Detroit will have to part with a draft pick, most likely a first-rounder (sort of), but to get a 25-year-old three time All-Star, probably better than what you get with the draft pick.

Here is how a trade could go:

The Thunder are owed a first-round pick by Detroit. They got it from Houston, who had it from the Christian Wood trade. Detroit would simply drop all protections, and the Thunder would get the Pistons first round pick next draft, no matter what.

In actuality, the Pistons would not be giving up an additional first-rounder, just sending what they owe Oklahoma City now. It would certainly be an enticing trade piece, if Oklahoma City chose that route to use it.

As for all the players Detroit would send to the Thunder, they are free to keep them and see if they develop, or cut them. They have the salary cap space to do whatever they want.

Detroit would get Ben Simmons without having to give up Cade Cunningham, Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk or Hamidou Diallo. The Pistons immediately jump into playoff contention. Simmons’ main problem has come in the second round of the NBA playoffs, Detroit will be happy to worry about it, if they made the second round.

Killian Hayes, say hello to your new friend Joel

No longer will Pistons fans get to debate whether Killian Hayes can play with Cade Cunningham. Now it will be can Cunningham and Simmons co-exist. (One shoots and passes, the other passes … and passes some more)

If Simmons is in Detroit, there is no reason to keep Hayes. They do basically the same things, except Simmons does them better, except shooting free throws.

The 76ers get a young, promising point guard in Hayes, a shooter from the Thunder in Jerome and an athletic wing who can help make up for Simmons’ absence on defense in Jackson.

Is it equal value for losing Simmons? Well, unless Damian Lillard demands to be traded from Portland, this is about as good as the Sixers are going to get. It is either this or a very, uncomfortable training camp.

The 76ers hold the cards but if they want to make a real championship run, having the Simmons problem hanging over their heads all year will not help. The move also helps Hayes, as he no longer is under the pressure of being the No. 7 pick and the guy Detroit passed up Tyrese Haliburton for. Now, he is just a ballhandler brought in to help make up for Simmons’ loss.

The trade might not go through now, might not go down for a while. But, as September 28 date of training camp opening get closer and closer, if the Lillard way out is closed, the Sixers will have to do something with Simmons.

Why not Detroit?