Kobi Simmons’ short and inconsistent Arizona basketball career is officially over.
Arizona announced the long-expected decision of the former McDonald’s All-American to leave as a freshman for professional basketball late on April 5, after he dropped to the end of the UA playing rotation over the final month of the season.
His decision came on the same afternoon that Scout.com reported forward Chance Comanche will test the NBA Draft without signing with an agent, an option that allows all underclassmen to get feedback from pro officials and return to school by May 24, if desired.
Simmons, a supremely athletic 6-foot-5-inch guard from Atlanta, started in 19 games and was a major factor in wins over Michigan State in Hawaii and at UCLA. But he lost his starting job to Allonzo Trier on Feb. 8 and slipped further down the bench afterward.
Simmons played just six minutes in UA’s regular-season finale at Arizona State and averaged 6.3 minutes a game between the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments. That includes a 14-minute appearance in Arizona’s first-round NCAA Tournament win over North Dakota; he played the final minute alongside four walk-ons.
Simmons averaged 8.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Still, he’s projected as a second-round NBA Draft pick because of his size, athleticism and shooting skills. Draft Express projects he will be taken at No. 51, toward the end of the second round.
While Simmons spoke generally about his role during the NCAA Tournament — saying during the first weekend that he was “just playing hard and doing my job” — other interpretations have been offered.
“He’s looked highly dejected and clearly not on the same page with the coaching staff, which is particularly surprising considering his track-record going into college,” Draft Express president Jonathan Givony wrote on March 23. “NBA scouts like Simmons’ talent level but have major concerns about his intangibles, especially considering how much development he still needs in terms of his skill level and basketball IQ.”
Givony also noted that the NBA’s new “two-way” contract will allow him to “make some decent money while the team that picks him evaluates if he can get his act together in the D-League.”
Two-way contracts essentially allow NBA teams a 16th and 17th spot for players to be mostly assigned to their D-League affiliates with the ability to be shuttled back and forth for a maximum of 45 days in the NBA. They are expected to earn players between $50,000 and $75,000, more than double a typical D-League salary.
Arizona’s announcement of Simmons’ departure was quiet in contrast to the way it handled freshman forward Lauri Markkanen’s departure last week. UA held a 10 a.m. news conference on March 30 for Markkanen and streamed it online, timing it for prime-time viewing in Europe.
Simmons’ announcement was delivered by email after 4:30 p.m. April 5.
“Kobi Simmons, with the support of his family, has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA Draft,” UA coach Sean Miller said in the school’s statement. “All of us here at Arizona thank him for his freshman season and wish him continued success as he pursues his professional career.”
In UA’s statement, Simmons said he enjoyed his time at Arizona and thanked his teammates, coaches, and UA fans. He later elaborated on Twitter.
“We’ve grown as brothers through the wars we have been through with everything,” Simmons wrote of his UA teammates. “I am blessed to have the year that I’ve had this season. I would like to thank the fans for all of their support they have given us throughout the year. I would love to thank the people who support me and I would love to thank the haters for motivating me even more!
“With that being said my family and I have decided to make the best decision for me and my future and I have decided to enter the 2017 NBA Draft. Blessed to have this amazing opportunity!”
