Jonathon Simmons joined Orlando Magic as a Free Agent in the summer as he became too expensive for the San Antonio Spurs. The Swingman has now revealed that it might have been time to say goodbye.
Simmons wanted a bigger role, as he told Orlando Sentinel,”This is part of me: I want to get better and better and play a bigger role,” said Simmons. Red.] said,’ I can be good here, but not great, but I want to fight the Kawhi Leonards of this world every day.'”
Simmons had only spent 17.8 minutes on the court at the Spurs per game, but in that time he indicated his potential. For the Magic, he is currently in the game as Sixth Man with 25.3 minutes of betting time and a strong 15 points per game at 50.7 percent. The 28-year-old confirmed that he had explicitly sought this opportunity.
“I even spoke to LeBron James on the phone and he said,’ We want you in Cleveland,’ I said,’ No, I want to play you,’ and I want to fight the elite guys and try to get to where they are in a few years’,”said Simmons, who made his NBA debut at the Sp. A. D. in 2015, at the age of 26, after making a detour to the D-League.
For this reason, the financial aspect also played a role for him, as Simmons openly admitted,”You couldn’t have paid me enough. I have a family to feed. I told him that, too,”Simmons said about the interview with James,”He already knew it anyway. All he said was,’ I can respect that. I’ll see you soon.”
Simmons collects 20 million dollars from the Magic over three years, but only one million is guaranteed in the third year. Last season he had earned $874,636 in San Antonio.