If you haven’t noticed lately, the Sixers are trying to trade Ben Simmons. There are plenty of trade rumors swirling around on various sites and on Twitter, but one was revealed involving a former Sixer.
Keith Pompey reported via the Philadelphia Inquirer that the 76ers would be interested in acquiring Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons along with other players and assets. The irony of this possibility is amusing, considering that Philly is the team that drafted Grant in 2014 (more irony to come later).
"“The team has engaged in ongoing discussions with the Detroit Pistons to acquire Grant, another forward, a young player, and a draft pick in exchange for Simmons.” – Keith Pompey, Sixers beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer"
Sixers rumors: Does Jerami Grant check the necessary boxes of a Ben Simmons trade target?
This trade rumor has unique timing if you look at the career trajectory of both players. Grant was selected in the second round two years earlier than Simmons. Then, the Sixers’ number one overall pick in 2016 was used to select Simmons while Grant was still on Philly’s roster. As Simmons was being drooled over coming out of LSU, Grant was not nearly as coveted coming out of Syracuse.
When you juxtapose their NBA production, Simmons got off to a hot start, posting impressive numbers and eventually winning NBA Rookie of the Year. Out of the gate, he was the Sixers’ starting point guard and facilitator. Grant, however, took seven years before he even averaged double digit points per game in approximately 20 minutes per night. Grant was a role player until he got to Detroit.
As seasons passed, both players produced numbers that shifted, but they went in opposite directions. In 2018, Jerami Grant boosted not only his minutes per game while playing for the Thunder, his scoring average increased to 14 points a game. He also raised his 3-point shooting percentage to 39 percent that year. Albeit a complementary player who had to share the court with ball dominant players like Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, Grant established that he could contribute to a playoff contending team.
On the other side, Ben Simmons saw his numbers stagnate for two seasons and then dip last year. His decline in points, assists, and rebounds since his rookie year is an inauspicious factor in the grand scheme of his trade value, but Simmons did almost win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
What are the pros and cons of a trade where the Sixers get Jerami Grant in exchange for Ben Simmons? Kyle Nuebeck recently wrote an article that contradicted Keith Pompey’s report, but I am going to roll this out and let you draw your own conclusions about what the Sixers should do when it comes to a Detroit deal involving Ben Simmons.