Pitchforks down people, do not send the hate mail just yet. Let us talk about this one.
After a year away from the NBA, Ben Simmons is making his comeback bid with the Sacramento Kings. These next few months will give him a chance to either reestablish himself as a capable rotation player, or lose the spot in the league he is fighting to retain.
Let us choose the glass half-full approach for a moment here. What if Simmons does it? What if the former first overall pick shows he has more left in the tank and delivers solid months of on-court production from now until the trade deadline in February?
Would his best traits not warrant the Los Angeles Lakers' attention?
Ben Simmons has sizable red flags that need to be dispelled first
Let us get the concerns and negativity out of the way to start. There are a handful of things that warrant caution when it comes to Simmons.
For starters, the most pertinent part of this conversation has to do with health. Will Simmons' body hold up after getting a chance to mend with a year off from the league? If the answer is yes, and that is a reasonably-sized if, the conversation can shift beyond those injury concerns.
Next comes the discussion of his mentality. Simmons has not always played nicely with his franchises. However, this is not the star version of him anymore. This is him vying for a spot in the league. Perhaps a touch of humility comes with that.
Finally, there is the concern about his shooting. That much may never really go away. The Lakers made dribble, pass, shoot an offensive pillar during the offseason. Simmons is missing one of the three. Would Los Angeles compromise for all else that Ben has to offer? If yes, let us keep talking.
Ben Simmons' defense, rebounding, playmaking, and versatility invites an intriguing gamble
So, what if things break right for Simmons? What if the former three-time All-Star is healthy, committed, and has either found a way to shoot or at least work around that missing part of his game?
Well, then Simmons quickly becomes a solid role player on a cheap, minimum deal for potential trade suitors to snatch up around the deadline. What would make the Lakers want to explore the idea of being one of those teams calling? That much is simple.
It starts with the defense. At his best, Simmons was an All-Defensive caliber of player. It would be unfair to expect him at that level again, but it would be reasonable to think he could be productive on that end.
The conversation then shifts to his rebounding. Simmons has been capable at securing boards throughout his NBA career. That could be helpful for the Lakers, considering that is an area in which they struggled throughout the preseason when Walker Kessler was absent.
Simmons also brings excellent versatility. The tall Australian guard gives JJ Redick someone who can be deployed all over the floor in a variety of different ways.
The playmaking is also a given. At his best, Simmons was one of the more exciting passers in the league. Even at this stage, he should still have positives to offer in that department.
If it is a low-cost investment in terms of what the Lakers need to give up in a trade, and Simmons' play has warranted the intrigue, the gamble could be enticing here. Depending on the framework of the deal, Los Angeles could even save money off the payroll by pushing for the Kings veteran.
There are a lot of ifs built in with this topic. That is very intentional. Simmons is a MASSIVE IF for this upcoming campaign. Should things break the right way, the Lakers will be invited to wonder if he can help their team ahead of the 2027 playoff run.
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