Former Philadelphia 76er Ben Simmons reportedly never had a proper chance to 86 the New York Knicks.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>. 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. <\/p>\n It\u2019s rumor time. But \u2026According to a league source Ben Simmons was not offered a contract by the Knicks.<\/p>\n \u2014 Steve Popper (@StevePopper) September 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n “Knicks never offered Ben Simmons a contract per league source,” said New York Daily News rep Kristian Winfield<\/a>. “They had interest but never made a formal offer.”<\/p>\n “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<\/a>, 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.”<\/p>\n The Simmons<\/a> 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). <\/a><\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n