When Kobi Simmons chose to leave Arizona and enter the 2017 NBA Draft it raised a lot of eyebrows — was the freshman really ready? Teams were not convinced and he went undrafted, but after an impressive Summer League showing that year he earned a two-way contract with the Grizzlies. Simmons went on to play 32 games for the big club, started in 12 (remember Memphis was decimated by guard injuries). He was rough around the edges (his jumper was inconsistent and he shot just 28 percent from three) but his athleticism kept Memphis interested.
After a good but not great Summer League for Simmons — in Las Vegas he averaged 14.8 points per game on just 35 percent shooting, but he had looked better using his athleticism when I had seen him in Salt Lake City — the Grizzlies have decided to move on.
Kobi Simmons has been waived. https://t.co/U9PsE0cBpJ
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) August 28, 2018
It is likely back to the G-League for Simmons who averaged 15.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in 26 appearances for the Memphis Hustle last season. He still has the potential to be an NBA role player, and he’s still just 21 years old, but he’s got to show the growth in his game teams want to see.