Simmons' run at an NBA title with the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers came crashing to an inglorious halt in the eastern conference semi-finals.
His reluctance to take open shots and attack the basket, stemming from historically poor free-throw shooting, earned the ire of star teammate Joel Embiid.
Simmons' tame play-offs exit may have crushed that optimism but five-time Olympian Gaze has urged him to consider the upside of a Tokyo campaign.
"We can all speculate and hypothesise, but based on my experiences I would be strongly encouraging him to play," Gaze told AAP.
"You want to erase those memories as quickly as you can, and grow and learn and the Australian team has an unbelievably welcoming and supporting culture and success with individual development.
"It's a small, small period of time - we're talking three to four weeks - but it can be very influential.
"I don't think any of us would have a full appreciation of the challenges he would face on a variety of fronts.
"But I do have a very good appreciation for how beneficial an Olympics experience can be.
"It's a very healthy environment to be involved in; it won't be the be-all and end-all, but it can be very helpful."
Even if Simmons' offensive struggles continued to plague him his pure play-making ability and defensive attributes would still enhance a Boomers squad stacked with shooting options.
Gaze hopes Simmons doesn't rush to a decision and isn't forced to before the Las Vegas camp so that the "dust can settle".
- AAP