Wasn’t Pistons offer to 76ers really an overpay for Ben Simmons?

Jerami Grant or Ben Simmons in playoffs. Who is more valuable?

The argument against Grant going to the Sixers is that he would be a wonky fit with Embiid and Harris. However, the 76ers are playing a lot of Harris-Embiid-Niang lineup, and Grant is far more athletic and flexible position-wise, than Niang.

Before Blake Griffin was traded, Grant was the Pistons small forward last season, and scoring over 20 points a game in that role. In a pinch, Grant can also play small-ball center. Grant can provide offense and defense, as well as versatility, since he can play all three frontcourt spots.

Grant is valuable enough as a player that Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard lobbied for him to be on the USA Olympic team. Of course, about half the NBA seems to be interested in acquiring him at the moment.

Is Grant an All-Star? Not yet, but he is a good player to have on a club with title aspirations. Collectively, Grant, Olynyk and Bey would have really helped the 76ers this season, if general manager Daryl Morey had pulled the trigger, plus they would have received a first round pick to boot.

Considering the breakout season Bey has had, and Grant averaging 20 points a game before his thumb injury, plus Olynyk a solid vet for Miami and Boston teams that went far in the playoffs, one can argue that Detroit general manager Troy Weaver was overpaying for Simmons.

These three players, when healthy, contribute far more to a team than Simmons by himself. Ask the Kings, who saw Bey score 30 and Olynyk drop 22 in his first action in over two months.

Yeah, the 6-foot-10 Australian is really good, not denying it, but he has never gotten out of the second round of the playoffs, and, as we all know, he can not shoot.

If the Sixers had taken the Detroit deal, it would have been a vast overpay, looking at it now. So the Pistons should be glad they still have (for now) those three of those players, plus the first rounder they were going to give them.