Polarizing defender is Spurs' best low-cost offseason bet this summer

Before you say no to this idea, just give me a moment to explain the vision. Ben Simmons' cap hit for the LA Clippers is $755,826, making him one of the cheapest players in the league. His reputation is still recovering from the hit caused by that fateful playoff evening when he opted not to challenge Trae Young at the rim with the game on the line, so he'll be cheap again next season.

But his determination to return after the embarrassment he suffered and the injuries that threatened his career shows that he's committed to this game. There have been questions about his love for basketball over the years, but you don't work as hard as he did to get back under the spotlight of constant criticism he was under if you don't have a deep appreciation for the sport.

Simmons was once discussed as a young player with the potential to be a Magic Johnson-lite talent. He's 6'10" with great athleticism and an exceptional passing ability, but he also played elite defense. We now know (and some of us knew then) that was way too lofty a comparison. But he still brings value that the San Antonio Spurs could take advantage of.

Simmons could help solidify San Antonio's second-unit defense

When you look at San Antonio's on-off numbers for Victor Wembanyama, the value he brings to their defense smacks you in the face. They had a 112.7 defensive rating when he was on the floor. That's good for 12th in the NBA this year. That number jumped to 120.5 without him. That's dead last. The Wembanyama-less lineups need major defensive help, and Simmons could provide that.

If you've watched the Clippers' playoff series against the Nuggets, you've seen Simmons have more than a few defensive possessions that look like the one above. You've also seen him guard Nikola Jokic and have relative success. The Joker is one of the greatest players we've ever seen, so there's only so much anyone can do on him, but Ben has made an impact.

They're four games into the best series of the first round, and most of it has been played in a phone booth. Both teams are doing a great job of countering each other, but when Simmons is on the floor, Denver has a bad time on offense, as the advanced stats show that their offensive rating plummets to 95.9 when he's on the floor.

Sure, he's still not a great shooter, but if they pick up some shooters in the draft, free agency, or on the trade market, they'll be fine. Guerschon Yabusele, Naz Reid, Luke Kennard, Gary Trent Jr, Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, & Tre Johnson are just a handful of names San Antonio could add to space the floor.

Defense is important, too, though, and if this franchise wants to reclaim the glory we all enjoyed in what's quickly turned into "the good ol' days", they'll need to re-establish defense as their identity.