Should the Memphis Grizzlies shoot their shot with Ben Simmons?

The Memphis Grizzlies have been actively working to trim their roster over the past few weeks after reaching an offseason-high of 19 players. This is four over the league’s 15-man limit and, as a result, Grizzlies fans all assumed there would be no more high-profile trades. Any move beyond this point was expected to sell players and receive picks or non-player assets in return.

Could a big enough move change that?

This week, the Ben Simmons saga with the Philadelphia 76ers continued. This time around, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Enquirer reported that Simmons wants out of Philadelphia and does not plan to attend training camp.

This news didn’t come as a surprise, as the Sixers’ back-and-forth against Simmons has been going on behind closed doors for the entirety of the offseason. BSB’s very own Jacob Ellerbee said it best by referring to it as “one of the NBA’s worst-kept secrets.”

Should the Memphis Grizzlies pursue Ben Simmons via trade?

The short (and perhaps easier) answer here is no. Ben Simmons, whatever may be said about him, wasn’t wanted by one of the most stacked teams in the league in the 76ers after they were bounced from the NBA Playoffs. Why should the Grizzlies want him?

The answer isn’t as simple as you think though. If you’re not a kid sneaking on his phone during math class on Twitter or an irrationally angry old person on Facebook, you possess the capability of looking at Ben Simmons as the player that he is rather than the caricature that he has been built up as on social media.

Say what you want — Simmons is a really good NBA player. Yes, he can’t shoot the ball, but he’s one of the league’s premier defenders. The 76ers guard is everything that Justise Winslow was supposed to be.

Simmons is coming off of two consecutive NBA All-Defensive First-Team honors and a trio of All-Star appearances. Make no mistake, the Australian guard would be the best player on the Memphis Grizzlies roster if he were to come over via trade, even with Ja Morant on the verge of an All-Star game. But that, in itself, is the exact reason why the Grizzlies should avoid Simmons.

Yes, he’s at a great age to develop with the Grizzlies’ current roster. At 25, he’s younger than Dillon Brooks by more than a few months. Heck, he could even be a great fit, as he would add defensive versatility to a squad that often struggled on that side of the ball in 2020-21.

If Simmons couldn’t do it with the Philadelphia 76ers’ current roster, what makes anybody think he could do it with the Grizzlies’ roster?

Ben Simmons isn’t the guy for the Memphis Grizzlies and he never will be

Still, he wouldn’t be the right guy to take Memphis to the promised land. For starters, the Grizzlies would have to give up significant assets to bring him to Beale Street. This wouldn’t be a deal that gives Memphis a team featuring Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson, and Dillon Brooks. Instead, at least one or two of those players would be gone.

Morant would remain — Memphis isn’t trading him for anything. This, however, creates the next blaring issue, which is regarding who will play point guard. Morant is a ball-dominant guard who doesn’t have the shooting ability to play off-ball as a player like Stephen Curry could. Simmons is the very same.

The Memphis Grizzlies would be crippling their offense by bringing Simmons on board and they’d have to give up more than their fair share of assets to do it. This would not be a great deal. Thankfully, there’s no reason to expect it to happen.