{"id":115821,"date":"2025-09-03T14:09:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T14:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/115821\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T14:09:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T14:09:10","slug":"knicks-in-limbo-as-dream-free-agent-guard-delays-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/115821\/","title":{"rendered":"Knicks in limbo as dream free agent guard delays decision"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Knicks<\/a> still have one veteran minimum slot available, and they\u2019re carefully considering who should fill it.<\/p>\n

While Landry Shamet remains a reliable fallback option, the front office appears to be waiting on Ben Simmons\u2019 decision.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fascinating possibility, one that would bring a polarizing figure to Madison Square Garden at a pivotal career crossroads.<\/p>\n

For Simmons<\/a>, the question isn\u2019t about money anymore \u2014 it\u2019s about whether he wants to rebuild his reputation in New York.<\/p>\n

\"OctCredit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Simmons\u2019 decline from former star<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to forget that Simmons was once one of the NBA\u2019s most versatile and exciting young players.<\/p>\n

After all, he signed a five-year, $177.2 million max contract that reflected his elite potential on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n

Since then, however, injuries have derailed his career, particularly a lingering back issue that sapped his offensive explosiveness.<\/p>\n

Since 2022, Simmons hasn\u2019t averaged more than 6.9 points per game, dropping to just 5.0 across Brooklyn and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

What Simmons can still provide<\/p>\n

Offensively, Simmons no longer profiles as a consistent scoring option, and fans shouldn\u2019t expect him to stretch the floor.<\/p>\n

But even in his diminished form, he brings two valuable skills: elite court vision and defensive versatility across multiple positions.<\/p>\n

At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, Simmons can switch onto guards and forwards, giving the Knicks flexibility in defensive matchups.<\/p>\n

His passing instincts also remain sharp, and he could elevate bench units with quick ball movement and unselfish play.<\/p>\n

Fit with the Knicks\u2019 roster<\/p>\n

The Knicks are built around scoring threats like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby, meaning Simmons wouldn\u2019t need shots.<\/p>\n

Instead, his role would focus on stabilizing the second unit, defending tough assignments, and setting up teammates for easy looks.<\/p>\n

In some ways, he\u2019d function like a chess piece \u2014 deployed situationally to maximize mismatches and slow down opposing scorers.<\/p>\n

That kind of defensive presence could be especially valuable in playoff matchups where depth and adjustments become critical.<\/p>\n

\"NBA:Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The decision Simmons faces<\/p>\n

Simmons must decide whether he\u2019d rather chase minutes on a struggling team or contribute meaningfully on a contender.<\/p>\n

At this stage, money isn\u2019t the priority \u2014 the buyout from Brooklyn and his career earnings give him financial security.<\/p>\n

Instead, the real goal might be restoring his reputation, showing he can still impact winning basketball in the right environment.<\/p>\n

The Knicks, with their structure and veteran core, provide an ideal landing spot for that type of redemption arc.<\/p>\n

A potential low-risk, high-reward move<\/p>\n

For New York, signing Simmons would be a gamble, but one that comes at minimal financial cost with potential upside.<\/p>\n

If he stays healthy and accepts his role, Simmons could become an X-factor off the bench in big moments.<\/p>\n

If he falters, the Knicks can pivot quickly, relying on the depth they already assembled this offseason.<\/p>\n

Either way, the possibility of Simmons in orange and blue adds intrigue to a roster already poised for contention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The New York Knicks still have one veteran minimum slot available, and they\u2019re carefully considering who should fill…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115822,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":["post-115821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115821\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}