I mean clearly that’s not his game. He’s defensively minded and 10 rebounds and 9 assists in 23 minutes is legitimately impressive. Didn’t Rajon Rondo carve out a similar niche? Obviously Simmons is nowhere near his IQ, but I really don’t think he’s a bum if his game is just being a 6’10 Great Value Rondo.
Yes he’s overpaid. But that doesn’t make him a bad player in the context of on the floor impact. He could easily be a solid piece on a contender for less money and a focus on his strengths like defense + playmaking.
If they had NIL back then he should have stayed at LSU for another year or two. He never really developed his game below the pro level and he wasn’t that great of a player at the ncaa level (no tourney wins). He was drafted on his potential.