Simmons is about to become a free agent after reaching a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets, closing the door on three mostly-injured years with the team. He can now choose his next team after his healthiest season in four years, where he’s averaging 6.2 points and 6.9 assists.
Shams Charania reported that he’s meeting with both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers Friday, but the Clippers provide a better opportunity for Simmons as he approaches free agency for the first time in his career.
For one, there’s a clearer role for Simmons in Los Angeles. The Clippers traded ball handlers Terance Mann and Bones Hyland for Bogdan Bogdanovic Thursday, then sent Kevin Porter, Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks. Porter and Hyland were second and third on the Clippers in assists per 36 minutes.
With Kris Dunn, the remaining backup to both James Harden and All-Star snub Norman Powell, the Clippers can use Simmons’ passing. He won’t shoot three-pointers, but that’s not such an issue for the Clippers, who shoot the fourth-fewest threes in the NBA. Outside shooting will be Bogdanovic’s job.
The Clippers also like using lineups with a small-ball center like Nic Batum. Last year, Basketball Reference estimated that the Clippers used lineups with Paul George at center for 250 minutes, and this year Batum has logged over 200 minutes at the five. At 6-foot-10, Simmons can hold up defensively against backup centers and his lack of outside shooting doesn’t matter as much.
There’s also a psychological benefit to simply getting out of the Eastern Conference, where Simmons has spent his entire career. It would be a break from the Northeast for the former No. 1 pick, who became a scapegoat in Philadelphia. He can bond with Harden, who also forced his way off the 76ers, a year and a half after the Sixers traded Simmons to get him.
While Simmons has improved his free-throw shooting to 69.2 percent, playing his home games at the Intuit Dome should level the playing field. Fans cheering in “The Wall” section at the Clippers’ new arena has had a distinct negative effect on the opposing team’s free-throw shooting. That’s going to level the playing field for Simmons, who has struggled from the charity stripe in the past.
Simmons deserves a fresh start. That start should come in Southern California.
