SEPTEMBER 16: The Hornets have signed Simmons to their training camp roster, the club confirmed today in a press release.
Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, acquired Simmons’ NBAGL rights last week, so if the point guard doesn’t earn a regular season NBA roster spot, he’ll likely end up playing for the Swarm.
SEPTEMBER 3: The Hornets and free agent point guard Kobi Simmons have reached an agreement on a one-year contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Although Charania doesn’t go into detail on the terms of Simmons’ deal, he notes that the 22-year-old will get a chance to compete for a regular season roster spot in training camp, so it figures to be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 pact.
Simmons, who went undrafted out of Arizona in 2017, spent his first professional season on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies. He appeared in 32 NBA games for the club in his rookie year, averaging 6.1 PPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.6 RPG in 20.1 minutes per contest.
After being waived by Memphis last August, Simmons spent most of the 2018/19 season with the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s G League affiliate. He recorded 17.2 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 3.7 RPG in 35 NBAGL games, making one brief NBA appearance for the Cavaliers after signing a 10-day contract with the club in January.
Once they officially sign Simmons, the Hornets will have 20 players under contract. Only 13 of Charlotte’s players have guaranteed salaries for 2019/20, so there will be one or two roster spots up for grabs. Simmons figures to compete with fellow camp invitees Joe Chealey, Caleb Martin, Josh Perkins, and Thomas Welsh — Chealey and Perkins, both point guards, may represent his direct competition.