The New York Knicks are projected to nab a former NBA All-Star as they gear up for another season of title contention in the Eastern Conference.
New York has made some major changes to its personnel this summer, both on and off the hardwood.
After making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years and pushing the NBA Finals-bound Indiana Pacers to six games, the Knicks opted to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau. He was eventually replaced with two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown.
The Knicks then went on to sign a pair of seasoned free agents — power forward Guerschon Yabusele and combo guard Jordan Clarkson — to help address their biggest problem of the 2025 playoffs: bench depth. They’ll join backup guard Miles McBride and either center Mitchell Robinson or wing Josh Hart as Brown’s top reserve options.
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New York will once again be led by All-NBA stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, plus pricey All-Defensive Team forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. It remains to be seen whether Hart or Robinson will nab that fifth starting spot. Hart had generally been the starting shooting guard for most of 2024-25 — although, in fairness, the oft-hurt Robinson sat out all but 17 regular season contests.
In the playoffs, with Hart’s offense slumping, Thibodeau wound up inserting Robinson into his first five and shifting Towns, Anunoby and Bridges all down a position.
Now, as the offseason winds down, the Knicks find themselves with three open standard roster spots, and some intriguing free agents still available.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report predicts that New York will use one of those openings to land a once-elite All-NBA perimeter talent.
“The Sacramento Kings are a viable option, but pencil in Simmons for the New York Knicks on a minimum deal,” Pincus contends.
A former three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive Teamer and one-time All-NBA honoree while with the Philadelphia 76ers, the 6-foot-10 LSU product has lost his confidence and some athleticism after a series of back and leg injuries.
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He negotiated a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets late last year to join a contender, opting to sign with the LA Clippers, where he joined some other All-Stars whose best years may be behind them in Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Both those players, unlike Simmons, remain All-Star-level talents when healthy.
“While he contributed during his time in LA, the team opted for Chris Paul, Brook Lopez and others in free agency, apparently moving on from the 29-year-old,” Pincus writes. “Simmons is a versatile defender and playmaker, though his lack of 3-point shooting limits some fits.”
In 18 healthy games with the Clippers, Simmons averaged a middling 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 0.7 steals. He didn’t make head coach Ty Lue’s playoff rotation, instead appearing for mop-up minutes in just five contests.
Pincus also previously proposed that, beyond New York and Sacramento, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors could be a fit for Simmons’ diminished skillset.
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