Ben Simmons, Nikola Jokic, Knicks
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Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets takes a shot against Ben Simmons of the LA Clippers.
The New York Knicks are interested in adding former NBA Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons to their bench.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks have “checked in” on Simmons, who last played for the Los Angeles Clippers last season after reaching a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks only have the veteran minimum to offer Simmons, who signed a one-year, $1.08 million deal with the Clippers after his buyout with the Nets for the remaining portion of his five-year, $170 million rookie extension contract he originally signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The former No. 1 pick has fallen off the cliff since he left Philadelphia over mental health and mysterious back issues. His once promising career went south in Brooklyn.
Last season, he averaged 6.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists in his final 33 games in Brooklyn. He only played 17 games for the Clippers and was an afterthought, averaging career-lows 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
According to Begley, a decision on Simmons getting a Knicks roster spot “isn’t expected until after the head coach is hired.”
The 28-year-old Simmons has also talked to several teams other than the Knicks.
“Simmons has met with three other teams and is expected to make a decision soon, per people familiar with the matter,” Begley wrote.
Mike Brown to Succeed Tom Thibodeau
Mike Brown, Knicks
GettyMike Brown will succeed Tom Thibodeau as the next New York Knicks head coach.
The Knicks are expected to hire two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown, per multiple reports.
The latest development in the Knicks coaching search came after Brown met team owner James Dolan on July 1, according to Begley.
Brown will succeed Tom Thibodeau, who was fired even after guiding the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. The 55-year-old Brown is coming in with championship expectations.
Brown is bringing more than three decades of coaching experience. He is a multi-titled assistant coach, most recently with the Golden State Warriors, and went to the NBA Finals as a head coach in Cleveland.
Coaching Stars
Brown also has experience coaching stars from LeBron James in Cleveland as the head coach and Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green with the Warriors as an assistant coach. In his last head coaching stop, he had De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis.
Under Brown, the Fox-Sabonis-led Kings had the league’s top offense in his first year in historic fashion. The Kings regressed from there, missing the playoffs in Brown’s second year at the helm.
The Kings’ defense never ranked higher than 18th because of their inability to defend the 3-point line, particularly wide-open shots, where they ranked 28th in the league before his firing. Ultimately, a 13-18 start in his third season cost Brown his job.
In New York, Brown will be inheriting a more dynamic duo in All-NBA stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
And unlike the Kings that Brown coached, the Knicks have three elite defenders — OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson to anchor their defense.
The Knicks bolstered their bench, which ranked last in minutes and scoring last season, with solid free agent acquisitions.
They just signed wide-bodied French forward Guerschon Yabusele to their midlevel exception while former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson will join them once he clears waivers for the veteran minimum. The newcomers will join holdovers Josh Hart and Miles McBride in the second unit.
It remains to be seen if Simmons will be added to their bench.