{"id":129006,"date":"2025-09-09T01:08:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T01:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/129006\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T01:08:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T01:08:07","slug":"nba-insider-pours-cold-water-on-latest-rumor-on-celtics-reported-free-agent-target","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/129006\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA insider pours cold water on latest rumor on Celtics reported free-agent target"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this summer, the Boston Celtics reportedly registered interest in Ben Simmons<\/a>. That came courtesy of veteran NBA insider Marc Stein in his Substack, the Stein Line. <\/p>\n

The New York Knicks were another team he cited as doing the same with the 29-year-old free agent. With training camp now on the horizon, Stein is now reporting<\/a> that the latter franchise extended an offer to him.<\/p>\n

“The Knicks, league sources said, indeed offered a one-year contract to Ben Simmons that the former All-Star passed on,” states Stein. “New York is limited to minimum contract offers as training camps draw near, and Simmons entered the summer hopeful of securing a contract above the minimum after he split last season between the Nets and Clippers.”<\/p>\n

However, while confirming the Knicks’ interest in the former All-NBA selection, SNY’s Ian Begley reports<\/a> that they have never made a formal offer to Simmons. He also noted re-signing Landry Shamet or bringing aboard former Celtic Malcolm Brogdon as potential options on New York’s radar.<\/p>\n

It’s possible that the Knicks never made a formal offer because the franchise or Simmons’ agent made him aware that they are limited to extending him a minimum contract. If it’s relayed that he won’t accept that, instead holding out in hopes of landing a more lucrative deal, there’s no need for New York to send a formal proposal to him and his camp.<\/p>\n

The Celtics’ interest in Ben Simmons may have dissipated<\/p>\n

As stated at the time<\/a>, when Boston signed Chris Boucher, it appeared to be a signal that the franchise would likely not add Simmons as well. Reinforcing that is a report from Brian Robb of MassLive<\/a>, stating that the Celtics may leave their 15th and final roster spot vacant. That would help maximize tax savings.<\/p>\n

If they fill that void, another reason they might want to steer in a different direction than Simmons is that he is contemplating retirement<\/a>, according to a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post earlier this month.<\/p>\n

The situation is fluid. The three-time All-Star could wind up joining the Celtics or Knicks in time for the start of training camp. In Boston, the two-time All-Defensive team selection could bring a boost with his ability to guard one through five and function at center in spurts.<\/p>\n

Like bumping up Boucher, that would give Joe Mazzulla another way to unlock small-ball lineups that could push the tempo offensively. With Simmons in the fold, those units may prove even more formidable at the other end, thanks to his defensive versatility.<\/p>\n

The Celtics could even try to minimize the impact of his reluctance to shoot. They could deploy him in a role resembling Luke Kornet’s. Taking advantage of his size, passing, and explosiveness, the former No. 1 overall draft pick has a track record of success when operating as the screener in dribble handoffs or pitch-and-goes around the elbows.<\/p>\n

Signing in Boston could be what’s best for Simmons. It could extend his career and turn into a multi-year partnership. Taking a low-risk, high-reward wager on him could especially come in handy when Jayson Tatum returns and the Celtics aim to reclaim their status as title contenders immediately.<\/p>\n

However, this is an individual with a disappointing track record highlighted by underachieving. His getting phased out of the Los Angeles Clippers’ rotation as their first-round series with the Denver Nuggets is the latest example that makes it hard to believe it would go differently with another franchise.<\/p>\n

One could also point to Simmons reportedly considering retiring as a suggestion that the least likely outcome is him being a multi-year contributor.<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean the Celtics — or the Knicks — shouldn’t take a chance on defying the odds. However, it’s important to maintain realistic expectations. Signing Simmons is more like purchasing a lottery ticket. It could work out well, but that’s not how it typically goes with him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Earlier this summer, the Boston Celtics reportedly registered interest in Ben Simmons. That came courtesy of veteran NBA…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129007,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[64,63,590,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-129006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129006","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=129006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}