'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Despite there being a significant amount of NBA rumors this summer regarding his future, the New Orleans Pelicans can certainly be ruled out of the running in any potential Ben Simmons trade.
It's no secret that the New Orleans Pelicans need help on defense, but considering the current makeup of their starting five and their style of play, it is highly unlikely that when Simmons does move it will be to the Pels. In this article, we will detail why this is the case.
Three reasons why New Orleans Pelicans trading for Ben Simmons wouldn't work
Ben Simmons faced endless criticism from his playoff performances this year that left many, including his coach Doc Rivers, questioning if he had what it took to step up on the biggest stage. Since then, trade speculation has turned to Ben Simmons reportedly threatening to miss the Sixers' training camp and demanding a trade.
Trending
At first, Philly's GM, Daryl Morey, sought another superstar such as Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal. Neither the Trail Blazers nor the Wizards struck a deal. Now, with most teams settled on their current roster and put off by the 76ers high asking price, Ben Simmons' future is in limbo. He doesn't want to play in Philadelphia anymore, but Morey is not going to be the first to budge.
Although Ben Simmons' defensive skills are elite, his fit on most teams in the NBA wouldn't be a clean one. Certainly not if he landed with the New Orleans Pelicans.
#1. Overlapping skills with Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson is already one of the best interior scorers in the league and led the NBA for points in the paint last season with 20.3 per game. He has also continued to develop his creativity for others and looks as though he could progress to becoming the kind of forward who can score and distribute like LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo. Williamson averaged 3.7 assists last season after just 2.1 per game in his rookie campaign.
Combining him with Ben Simmons on the floor makes little sense in terms of spacing and with the current makeup of the New Orleans Pelicans roster.
Over 90% of Simmons' field-goals last season were taken within ten feet of the basket - the same as Williamson - and he shot just ten threes. The Pelicans as a whole last year were the fifth-worst three-point shooting team in the league, something that Williamson is unlikely to add to his game.
Having two players on the same team that score in the interior and who need to be surrounded by shooters would make the New Orleans Pelicans' offense congested. The Pels are fully focused on Williamson's development and are keen to facilitate that in any way possible. While Simmons is an excellent distributor, his abilities on offense do not complement the power forward's and can't provide the spacing that perimeter shooters would.
#2 New Orleans would have to sacrifice a lot in a trade
All of a sudden, a Ben Simmons fit in New Orleans becomes a lot worse considering what the franchise would have to give up in any deal. The Philadelphia 76ers have remained stubborn in their asking price for the 3-time All-Star, maintaining that they will not settle for anything less than another All-Star in return. For the Pelicans, that would mean sacrificing Brandon Ingram, who was the team's highest scorer and second-best three-point shooter and playmaker last season.
It would also likely have to include their lottery pick from last year, Kira Lewis Jr., to match salaries and a future draft selection. The Pels afforded Lewis a lot of court time (16.7 minutes on average from 54 games) just to ship him out again. Then there is Devonte' Graham, who the Pelicans picked up to replace Lonzo Ball at the point guard position.
While Ben Simmons is a better guard than Graham, it seems foolish that the latter would come off the bench when both he and Ingram outscored Simmons per game last season. In fact, Ingram scored nine more points per 36 minutes than Simmons while also being a threat from deep, connecting with 38.6% of threes over the last two campaigns.
Bringing in Ben Simmons for Ingram would require a re-shuffling of the New Orleans Pelicans lineup and would force the franchise to surround him and Williamson with shooters.
#3 The New Orleans Pelicans already dominate the paint
In his first two seasons in the NBA, Ben Simmons ranked among the top-20 players for rebounds per game. While his rate has fallen off slightly, he still grabbed 11% of the Philadelphia 76ers' total boards last year and ranked seventh among guards with 7.2 per game.
Although rebounding is a strong aspect of Ben Simmons' all-round game, it is not something that would be particularly beneficial to the New Orleans Pelicans. Brandon Ingram provides just shy of five boards per contest, while Zion Williamson collected the same number as Simmons last season despite being four inches smaller. The Pelicans ranked top for offensive rebounds in the 2020-21 campaign and were third overall for total boards.
Then there is the fact that the Pelicans acquired Jonas Valancuinas this summer, a center who dominates the paint and who rarely steps out to shoot from the perimeter, thus taking away Ben Simmons' usefulness as a solid rebounder. Valancuinas' addition could well make the Pels the best rebounding team in the league and knock his former side, the Memphis Grizzlies, off the top for points in the paint.
