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A bold roster shake-up could be brewing in Golden State. Could the Warriors really move on from Trayce Jackson-Davis to take a gamble on Ben Simmons?

The Golden State Warriors are once again standing at the intersection of loyalty and logic — and this time, it involves Trayce Jackson-Davis and a former All-Star searching for redemption.

Jackson-Davis has been a steady presence since being drafted 57th overall in 2023, but three years in, the opportunity curve has flattened. Despite a brief resurgence in Golden State’s 118–117 win over Phoenix — where he tallied seven points, two rebounds, and three assists in 15 minutes — his role remains situational at best. Steve Kerr admitted as much afterward, noting that Jackson-Davis is used “for rim protection and defense in the paint” when Draymond Green sits.

That acknowledgment underscores the problem. Jackson-Davis does one thing well — protect the rim — but in a Warriors offense built around spacing, ball movement, and pace, his traditional center style feels increasingly outdated.

The Rotation Reality

Last season, Jackson-Davis started 37 games and averaged 6.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, showing promise as a rim-runner and energy big. But Golden State’s frontcourt landscape has shifted. The addition of Al Horford and the rise of rookie Quinten Post — a floor-spacing big who can stretch defenses — have pushed Jackson-Davis further out of the rotation.

In fact, through the first nine games of this season, he’s logged just 52 total minutes with four DNPs. When Horford sits, Jackson-Davis gets a small window, but his plus/minus rating (-3 across those opportunities) and lack of offensive versatility have made it difficult for Kerr to justify more minutes.

That’s why Blue Man Hoop’s Peter O’Keefe recently floated a controversial but thought-provoking idea — waiving Jackson-Davis before his $2.2 million contract becomes fully guaranteed in January and using the open spot to take a flier on three-time All-Star Ben Simmons.

Why Simmons Makes Sense

On the surface, Simmons’ inclusion seems counterintuitive — another non-shooter in an offense dependent on spacing. But the deeper you look, the more his profile fits Golden State’s needs.

Simmons, even in decline, remains a rare blend of size, defensive versatility, and playmaking. He’s still capable of switching across positions, initiating transition offense, and facilitating from the frontcourt — a skill set Golden State currently lacks beyond Draymond Green.

For his career, Simmons has averaged 7.2 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 13.1 points, numbers that hint at the kind of multidimensional impact Kerr could weaponize in short spurts. In a system designed around movement and quick reads, his passing could revive bench units that have stagnated without Stephen Curry on the floor. He could function as both a small-ball five and secondary initiator — essentially a second Draymond without the shooting expectation.

The Risk and Reward

Of course, the Warriors would be taking a calculated gamble. Simmons hasn’t been an All-Star since 2021, and injuries plus confidence issues have derailed much of his recent production. But with an open roster spot and a veteran-minimum price tag, the risk is minimal compared to the potential schematic payoff.

Jackson-Davis, on the other hand, carries little financial downside but also little upside within this current construction. At 25, he’s not a developmental project anymore — and with Golden State clinging to the final chapters of the Curry era, every rotation spot must serve the pursuit of winning now.

If Simmons can give Kerr even eight to ten solid minutes of playmaking defense off the bench, the experiment might be worth the shakeup. And if it doesn’t work, the cost is negligible compared to the potential reward of reigniting a player whose skill set once made him one of the league’s most dynamic forwards.

The Warriors don’t need another big man — they need a connector. And while Trayce Jackson-Davis offers dependability, Ben Simmons, even at a fraction of his former self, offers something much rarer: possibility.

Jalon Dixon Jalon Dixon is a multi-platform sports journalist and content creator specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage. He blends writing, podcasting, and video analysis to deliver accessible, in-depth perspectives on basketball and beyond. More about Jalon Dixon