The Indiana Pacers and Malcolm Brogdon agreed on a two-year, $45 million extension before Monday's deadline, and this deal has a major impact on Ben Simmons trade talks.
The Pacers have reportedly been one of Simmons' suitors, with Brogdon's name coming up in trade rumors. However, the Philadelphia 76ers haven't been too interested, and now this Brogdon extension means he can't be traded this season:
Because the contract is for a total of four seasons (the current contract and extension), Brogdon is not allowed to be traded this season. https://t.co/8LF6GoFIUP
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 18, 2021
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While this doesn't mean Indiana definitely can't trade for Simmons, the inability to trade Brogdon makes the chances of it happening much smaller. Brogdon would have made sense on the Sixers because of his solid two-way play and shooting ability, but the Sixers are holding out for something bigger in a Simmons deal. This extension would seem to signal that the Pacers understand their chances of getting the disgruntled Sixers star are slim.
Simmons is now back at Sixers practice, and signs are pointing to him playing for the team again in the near future. Philly will surely still be perusing the trade market as the season goes on, but Daryl Morey is holding strong here even with Simmons' desire to be elsewhere. The Sixers aren't going to trade Simmons just to trade him, and they want to make sure they get a commensurate return back, even after his playoff disaster.
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