Former Philadelphia 76er Ben Simmons reportedly never had a proper chance to 86 the New York Knicks.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported this week that Simmons, one of the top free agents left on the active ledgers, turned down a one-year deal from the Knicks. But local further intel from more local Knicks insiders, such as Steve Popper of Newsday, stated that while New York has maintained a consistent interest in the three-time All-Star, no formal offer was made at any point this offseason.
It’s rumor time. But …According to a league source Ben Simmons was not offered a contract by the Knicks.
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) September 8, 2025
“Knicks never offered Ben Simmons a contract per league source,” said New York Daily News rep Kristian Winfield. “They had interest but never made a formal offer.”
“Knicks have had dialogue with free agent Ben Simmons over the course of the offseason and certainly have had interest in him,” added SNY’s Ian Begley, who added that the Knicks are also keeping an eye on 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon and incumbent New York depth star Landry Shamet. “But [the] club has never made a formal offer to Simmons, per league sources.”
The Simmons saga has been a bit of a rollercoaster from a Knicks perspective: while the rumored interest in the 29-year-old top pick of 2016’s draft hasn’t been a secret, rumors have surfaced that Simmons may in fact step away from the game entirely after injuries have eaten away at the more recent seasons of his career (h/t Stefan Bondy of the New York Post).
The Knicks have nonetheless appeared to have honed in on him as a candidate for their final veteran’s contract as they continue to seek depth assistance for their top-heavy depth chart. Simmons has spent parts of the past three seasons in New York City repping the Brooklyn Nets, as he was traded in-division when the 76ers acquired James Harden. Various ailments limited Simmons to just 90 games in that span, during which he accumulated $124 million. Brooklyn waived Simmons in February before he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.