NBA Trade Rumors: 3 ideal returns for Ben Simmons

Philadelphia 76ers return for Ben Simmons No. 3: Jerami Grant

When the Detroit Pistons originally signed Jerami Grant to a three-year, $60 million deal in the summer of 2020, many were skeptical. To the Pistons credit, he has justified that contract and more, averaging over 20 points each of the last two seasons on decent efficiency.

He’s been the No. 1 option in Detroit during his tenure there, giving him more leeway and opportunity in the offensive system than he’s ever had in his career. This has translated to more volume, playmaking, and shot creation, and decreased efficiency overall.

Despite this, he has made great strides in terms of his skills on the court, as he was largely viewed as an athletic 3-and-D wing before his time in Detroit, who couldn’t do much with the ball in his hands. Now, he’s able to get buckets in isolation and as a ball-handler in transition.

On the 76ers, he can act as a secondary scorer to Joel Embiid. Playing alongside both the big man and Tobias Harris will help free up tons of shots that he hasn’t been able to get in Detroit, as opposing defenses won’t be focused on him as much.

Grant is a long, capable defender on both the perimeter and in the post against bigger defenders, and will fit well into Philadelphia’s defensive system.

As for the Pistons, although the fit of Ben Simmons, Cade Cunningham, and Killian Hayes seems a bit obscure, the potential is too good to pass up. All three are young capable distributors with the latter two developing their jump shot from long-range.

Detroit is still a long way away from contending in any sort of fashion, so they shouldn’t be too worried about their on-court fit. They should be prioritizing acquiring as much talent as they can for Jerami Grant, as it is unlikely they can re-sign him, as his price tag will go up.

If worse comes to worst, they can trade either Simmons or Hayes away, acquiring more beneficial talent for the structure of their team.