What does it take for Lakers to get Simmons?

[zimpy27]

Two reasons why I don't think Simmons/Draymond is really a useful comparison here:

1) Draymond, while not a good shooter, is credible enough that teams can't simply ignore him when he's off the ball (32% career, 39% last year on low volume). Simmons is completely useless on the perimeter off-ball, to the point where teams don't even bother defending him.*

2) Draymond has been surrounded by multiple elite shooters his entire career. That is decidedly not the situation he'd be walking into here playing off Bron-AD.

(*fun fact: Draymond made more threes last year (51) than Simmons has attempted in his entire career (36))

Team defend him and Draymond very similarly. Its not the threat of their 3 it's that they can drive to the lane where it's a lay in, dunk or pass. You still have to defend them to stop penetration.

We're talking about different things here. I'm not talking about how teams defend Simmons when he has the ball - I'm talking about how teams defend Simmons when he doesn't have the ball (which will be most of the time in this scenario, unless you're planning on taking the ball out of LeBron's hands...)

Simmons off-ball is a total nonfactor on offense. You'd basically be playing 4 on 5.

.oh right, yeah the spacing impact is an issue with Simmons

[JayTWill]

If anyone wants Simmons, their best bet is for a buyout, and picking him up on the cheap.

Yes, but any team over the first apron would be excluded from signing Simmons, unless he’s bought out and waived before the regular season starts.

I completely forgot about that rule. Depending on how his health looked this year I was looking at him as a possible cheap pickup for the Knicks this year. Now I have to adjust my options for buyout candidates. Thanks.

Edit - Speaking of buyout candidates... The Knicks are above the first apron so I believe the rule is they can't sign anyone that was waived during the season that had a pre-existing salary of +$12.9M. If the player is making less than $12.9M could the Knicks use the taxpayer MLE to sign that waived player that they have not used yet? It would give them an advantage over teams that may only be able to offer the minimum. I'm not sure who may become available that makes less than $12.9M that would be worth more than minimum. I'm just curious what options they might have during the season.

[Scoot McGroot]

If anyone wants Simmons, their best bet is for a buyout, and picking him up on the cheap.

Yes, but any team over the first apron would be excluded from signing Simmons, unless he’s bought out and waived before the regular season starts.

I completely forgot about that rule. Depending on how his health looked this year I was looking at him as a possible cheap pickup for the Knicks this year. Now I have to adjust my options for buyout candidates. Thanks.

Edit - Speaking of buyout candidates... The Knicks are above the first apron so I believe the rule is they can't sign anyone that was waived during the season that had a pre-existing salary of +$12.9M. If the player is making less than $12.9M could the Knicks use the taxpayer MLE to sign that waived player that they have not used yet? It would give them an advantage over teams that may only be able to offer the minimum. I'm not sure who may become available that makes less than $12.9M that would be worth more than minimum. I'm just curious what options they might have during the season.

The rule specifically is:

Signings – “Buyout” Players. Teams will be unable to sign a player during a Regular Season if he was waived during that Regular Season and had a pre- waiver Salary for that year greater than the amount of that year’s Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Salary Exception.

yeah, NY would be eligible to use the taxpayer MLE, so long as they remain under the second apron in so doing. The taxpayer exception will begin to prorate down starting on January 10, I believe.