The New York Knicks are among the few Eastern Conference teams that should concern the Boston Celtics during the present Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era.
Beyond the obvious fact that the Celtics just lost to the Knicks in the playoffs while attempting to defend their title, New York looks poised to be a contender for the foreseeable future, so long as new head coach Mike Brown doesn’t undo Tom Thibodeau’s impressive work over the past half-decade.
Any Knicks roster moves are relevant to the Celtics and any other squads looking to contend in the East during the 2020s.
As such, it’s worth noting that New York is in play to add former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons to its roster before the 2025-26 season.
Simmons-Knicks buzz has been felt for most of the summer, and on Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus reiterated the idea, listing the Knicks as one of four realistic landing spots for the free agent.
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“One of the Knicks’ most significant weaknesses last season was a lack of playmaking on the roster,” Pincus wrote.
“Outside of star guard Jalen Brunson’s 7.3 assists per game, the only high-assist teammate he had was Josh Hart at 5.9. Recently signed guard Jordan Clarkson is a bench scorer first and foremost, not a shot creator for others.”
“Simmons could relieve some of that pressure, with the size to play alongside Brunson or entirely with the second unit to help generate offense,” Pincus continued.
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“Before acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks were primarily known as a grind-it-out defensive unit. That shifted to more of an offense-first squad, but the team still has plenty of strong wing defenders like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Simmons adds to that group while also addressing a need on offense.”
Simmons was linked to the Celtics earlier in the offseason, but those rumors have cooled.