The New York Knicks have had a relatively quiet NBA offseason thus far. After making a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, they don’t need to do a lot, but with a new head coach in place, adding more depth is a need.
Mike Brown has officially replaced Tom Thibodeau as the head coach of the Knicks. While Thibodeau didn’t rely heavily on his bench and tended to stick with his top six or seven guys, Brown will want to have a deeper bench.
So far this offseason, New York has added both Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. Both players are quality additions. However, there is another potential bench addition the Knicks have been linked to.
Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons is an interesting free agent. He has shown flashes of huge ability, but his track record of playing at a high level has not been great.
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He’s still a free agent and has once again been connected to New York.
Tom Rende of Forbes has named Simmons as one of the possible targets to fill the team’s last roster spot.
“It was reported last week that there was interest from the Knicks in possibly signing the former number one overall pick,” Rende wrote. “That noise quieted down after New York signed Jordan Clarkson and Yabusele, but things can change in a moment. Simmons would provide some defensive versatility and was a rotation piece for a playoff team just last year. The weaknesses are well known, and his fit issue with a player like Josh Hart may rule him out as a possibility.”
Simmons spent the 2024-25 NBA season split between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He showed signs of being a quality rotation piece.
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In the 51 total games and 24 starts he made, Simmons averaged five points, 5.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game. He shot 52 percent from the floor as well.
Obviously, the Knicks would not be signing Simmons to be an offensive threat. He would be a solid defensive presence, a decent rebounder, and a player who can create for others offensively. Those are all areas the bench could use improvement.
While this is just an idea at this point, Simmons would be worth taking a flier on. If the price is right, New York should at least consider the option.
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