Even if you weren’t a fan of the San Antonio Spurs, there’s a chance you remember the hype and excitement about Jonathon Simmons, and how he became one of the NBA’s great stories at the tail end of the 2010s.
In observing Simmons, I’d argue that he falls into what I’d call the “2003 50 Cent theory.” After years of working at it, 50 Cent finally found his breakthrough, with the highest-selling album of 2003. And in some mix of both comfort of finally being rich, and the challenge of somehow outdoing that incredible album, history had it that 2003 was his peak.
There feels to be a similar story with Simmons. From paying a $150 fee to even tryout for the Spurs to finally signing his $20 million contract in 2017, he’d finally made it. The year after that, his percentages began to fall off.
Simmons found a mini-resurgence when he carved out a role with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2019 Playoffs, but he’s been trying to return to the pros since then.
Simmons isn’t a guaranteed knockdown shooter off-the-catch, but he can create his own shot. He gave the 76ers a capable bench scorer who could make his own shot. He recently signed with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s G-League affiliate. He’s a neutral defender, but he shot 42.9 percent from 3 in Philadelphia. There’s a spot in the NBA for him.