Ben Simmons has been in trade talks for quite some time, and there's no question that the Philadelphia 76ers are likely looking to move him. Simmons clearly doesn't want to play for the team, and perhaps it'd be best to move the 3-time All-Star elsewhere.
There have been a lot of teams who have been linked with Ben Simmons in trade talks. One of those teams has been the Indiana Pacers, and it was reported that the 76ers actually rejected an offer from the Pacers for Simmons in the past. It seems as though there may be a new offer on the table.
Ian Begley of SNY has reported that the Indiana Pacers have talked to the Philadelphia 76ers about a trade that would send Simmons in Indiana. It seems as though there were multiple players involved in discussions, with one of them being Caris LeVert.
League sources confirm that the Pacers are among the teams who have talked to the Philadelphia 76ers about a potential Simmons trade. Caris LeVert was among the players brought up in those communications, per SNY sources.
It is unknown if talks between Philadelphia and Indiana have progressed beyond run-of-the-mill contact.
It is easy to see why the Philadelphia 76ers could potentially be interested in acquiring Caris LeVert. LeVert would give them a capable shot-creator, who can also make plays for his teammates. LeVert averaged 20.7 PPG and 4.9 APG during his time with the Pacers, and he'd give the Philadelphia 76ers a more perimeter-oriented player/scorer to add to the roster next to Joel Embiid.
On the Pacers' end, it looks as though they want to take a gamble on Ben Simmons' talent. It is true that Simmons has amazing playmaking and is a top-tier defender, while also being an extremely gifted athlete. There are certainly positives to Simmons' game, just as there are negatives.
It remains to be seen whether Ben Simmons will eventually be traded to Indiana, and the Pacers will certainly have a lot of competing franchises who also want to make a trade for Simmons. At this point, we'll just have to wait and see what deal the 76ers end up accepting.
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