Aamir Simms finished his basketball career at Clemson as one of the best players to come through the program in recent years, but some may not know where his career stands now.
After four years at Clemson, Simms aimed to continue his basketball career by entering his name into the 2021 NBA Draft. He went undrafted and signed with the New York Knicks as an undrafted free agent soon after. However, Simms was waived from the team in October, and he currently plays for the Knicks’ G-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
Simms understood the possibility of going undrafted and potentially starting his career in the G-League.
“Too many guys get caught up with their name being called, and that can land them in a bad situation,” Simms told Basketball Insiders during the pre-draft process. “It takes a lot of maturity to understand that it’s okay if you’re not drafted. A lot of guys who aren’t drafted or are taken late second-round are standing out.”
Simms has definitely brought that mentality and approach to his play in the G-League. After four games this season, Simms is averaging 15.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.5 blocks. Overall, it is a great start to his professional career.
“[If] you can get over the idea of getting drafted and just focus on getting your foot in the door, that’s most important. That’s what I’m focused on.”
Simms was a third-team All-ACC recipient his junior year at Clemson and a second-team All-ACC player his senior year. He was a three-time All-ACC academic team member, including winning the 2021 ACC Skip Prosser Award, an award given to the top student-athlete in ACC’s men’s basketball.
Simms joined Larry Nance, Horace Grant and Trevor Booker as the only Clemson players to finish their careers with 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 150 assists, 75 steals and 75 blocks, according to Clemson Athletics.
In the 2020–21 season, Simms finished in the top-10 for the Karl Malone award, which is given to the nation’s top power forward, and he was one of 14 players that earned a spot on the watch list for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
Clemson fans may be upset not being able to see Simms play in the NBA but patience is key. Many players that started in the G-League worked their way up to the NBA. Simms has the talent and mindset to be one of those players that work their way up and have an instant impact in the NBA.
This article appeared in The Tiger’s Nov. 18 print edition. It may differ in formatting or content due to space constraints.
