This upcoming season, the New York Knicks should be favored the Eastern Conference representative in the NBA Finals.
Knicks Free Agent Target Ben Simmons Considering Retirement
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is on the mend, likely out for the majority of the 2025-26 regular season. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone from being buoyed by Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to carrying Cole Anthony, Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner. Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Paul George are going to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame one day. Right now, they’re just trying to prove they can still play at an elite level.
With the combination of these contenders’ misfortunes and the talent the Knicks star power, there’s no better time to swing for the fences. To many, those words inspire optimistic images of a blockbuster trade. However, that could also mean kicking the tires on a risky free agent.
For now, it’s the latter in New York’s case.
Ben Ten-der
As the Knicks peruse the clearance aisle, they’re seriously considering tendering a contract offer to 6-foot-10 playmaker Ben Simmons.
Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, has declined significantly since his All-Star start. The issue is layered, with mounting injuries contributing to his mental strain, relatively limited mobility and lack of confidence. The result has been simple.
A player his former head coach once compared to the likes of Magic Johnson and LeBron James is now on the verge of being out of the league. That’s not being hyperbolic. Less than a decade after being drafted, Simmons is literally considering retirement.
“The former All-Star and Rookie of the Year, who has struggled recently with injuries and handling the public pressures of the league, is an option for the Knicks because of his upside as an elite defender and athlete to fill their backup point guard spot,” the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy reports. “However, Simmons… is sending a message that he isn’t sure ‘if he wants to continue’…”
At 29 years old, Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks per game last season. If judged against his three All-Star seasons, those stats are hard to look at. To that point, the Aussie posted 16.0 points, 7.6 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
The Last Word On Ben Simmons
Just from a quick glance at his numbers, it’s clear Simmons isn’t impacting the scoreboard like he used to. He isn’t crashing the boards with the same energy. He’s not even generating turnovers with the same proficiency.
Yet, he’s still a useful player in a vacuum. Indeed, he’s in the Swiss Army Knife mold. Furthermore, though he’s lost a step, he’s a fluid athlete that can play above the rim. If his recent statistical output was compared to a player like Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, he would be much more endearing.
A four-time NBA champion, Green holds career averages of 8.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block per game. That’s with him completely healthy. So, sure, Simmons is only a shell of who he used to be. Yet, he could still make a substantial contribution to a title team.
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