Ben Simmons, New York Knicks
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Ben Simmons, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are reportedly interested in adding Ben Simmons to their roster ahead of the new season. He is currently an unrestricted free agent after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers at the end of last season.
Simmons has struggled with back issues for multiple years. He’s not the two-way menace he was during the earlier years of his career. And, according to Jeff Teague, Simmons’ injury issues are here to stay.
“Yeah, it’s over, bro. Y’all seen him when he was playing? He can’t move anymore,” Teague said. “…He runs like his back hurts. He’s hurt. I used to always be like Okay, whatever, but no, he’s legit hurt. What made him effective was pushing the ball and being dynamic in transition and he can’t do that anymore. Or he doesn’t have the opportunity, like nobody believes it.”
Simmons has struggled to be an effective member of both the Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets’ rotations. His game was always built on getting downhill and causing havoc in transition. The lack of an outside shot has further limited Simmons’ viability since his back issues began.
As such, the Knicks may be wise to look elsewhere, especially if they’re going to rely on Simmons’ playmaking and defense in their second unit.
Ben Simmons Could Retire
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Simmons could decide to call time on his NBA career.
“Ben Simmons has generated interest from the Knicks and another team but is also questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season, The Post has learned,” Bondy reported.
At 29 years old, Simmons should be in his prime. He was supposed to be a perennial MVP candidate. Unfortunately, things haven’t worked out that way for him. There’s a reason why he’s still an unrestricted free agent and looking at a minimum contract.
If the Knicks are reluctant to offer him a consistent role, and there’s no interest from elsewhere in the NBA, stepping away from the league could be the most logical choice Simmons has available.
Insider Doesn’t Expect Simmons To Join Knicks
During an August 20 edition of SNY’s “The Putback” with Ian Begley, the Knicks insider shared his doubts that Simmons lands with the Knicks this summer.
“Logic tells me to take the field because there are so many different variables here for the Knicks,” Begley said. “They have interest, other teams have interest, and they have one spot unless they make a trade to open up another. So it seems to me you are looking at Landry Shamet or a Ben Simmons-type player. That is why I would probably take the field. Are the Knicks the favorite? I do not think so.”
New York may choose to look elsewhere in the free agency market as it rounds out their roster. Simmons is certainly a big name, and the hope of getting him back to his best is enticing.
However, the reality is that his back issues appear to be long-term, and if he can’t be a positive addition to Mike Brown’s rotation, the Knicks would be better served looking elsewhere.