Yes, guys, this is serious. Put the guns down and just let the case speak for itself. Ben Simmons is no longer in the NBA, but last we checked, he hasn't ruled out a comeback. No, he's not what he was, and any team interested in him should (and won't) think of him as a star anymore, but he can be of great service to a playoff team. Given what the Utah Jazz plan to be, he'd be perfect for them.
The Jazz will be paying through the nose for their core this summer. Jaren Jackson Jr.'s new extension kicks in, Walker Kessler won't be cheap, and Utah would be fools not to take care of Keyonte George's contract situation the first chance they get. With that, they will also look into bargain bin shopping. With Simmons' value still at an all-time low
While a shell of his former self, Simmons wasn't that bad in his last NBA season. He turned into more of a jack-of-all-trades player with the Clippers, putting solid numbers as a passer (3.1 assists a game), rebounder (3.8 rebounds), and defender (0.7 steals a game).
He still generated interest this past offseason, but wanted to take some time off (supposedly to get his body right). With a clean bill of health
Utah needs defense, and Simmons would give it to them
The Jazz should be among the NBA's most potent offenses, featuring multiple scorers, including JJJ, George, Lauri Markkanen, and Ace Bailey. Where they finish in the league next year will depend on their defense.
Many are very much looking forward to the pairing of Jackson Jr. with Walker Kessler, as those two together are sure to make Utah's currently laughable defense respectable overnight, but it will take more than those two.
Utah will need more defense, and with Simmons, they would not only get that but also have his presence shore up other areas. The Jazz plan to be a jumbosized team, and to be fair, Simmons would fit right into that.
Better yet, Utah would give Simmons the spacing that would give him open lanes to the basket, which is his bread and butter. There's a fair case to be made that both sides would scratch each other's backs quite well if all went according to plan.
Simmons has his warts, of course, but luckily Utah wouldn't depend on him nearly to the same degree Philadelphia once did. Ben Simmons isn't what he once was, but he has the makings of a player who would be the perfect bargain bin purchase for a team like the Jazz.
As long as it would cost them pennies to make such a move, what downside would there be?