New York Knicks basketball is almost back with preseason roughly a month away, but they may not be done making moves. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, they tried and failed to persuade free agent and former two-time all-star Ben Simmons to take the vet minimum contract to join the Knicks (subscription required).
No dice. He rejected their offer, with Stein reporting that he still hopes to sign a contract worth more than the $3.3 million minimum. He isn't hurting for money after having made more than $40 million last season, but he still hasn't embraced his new reality, which is that of a role player.
He might have once been a former first overall pick and an all-NBA player, but he has been in a downward spiral that, as the kids say, "needs to be studied." By whom I don't know, but Simmons should still be an in-demand role player given his size, passing, and defense.
Of course, the market is the market, and the market says he isn't worth much. Still, it's disappointing that the Knicks couldn't have brought him in on a flyer to see if he has anything left in the tank or whether it's tapped.
Ben Simmons rejecting the Knicks doesn't hurt a strong off-season
The Knicks will be just fine without Simmons, who may ultimately retire, according to New York Post beat writer Stefan Bondy. That, or until a team, or he, is desperate enough to sign a new contract.
The Knicks managed to get a new coach and shore up their sketchy bench, adding Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. Add that to Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride, and the Knicks suddenly can go nine deep. There is also hope that one more player can emerge and give them a solid 10-man regular season rotation.
That could solve their biggest problem from last season, which was arguably their overreliance on their starters. Fewer minutes should mean less wear and tear and fewer injuries. A healthy Knicks and a joke of an Eastern Conference could also mean a trip to the NBA Finals if everything breaks right for them.
For the Knicks to actually regret not signing Simmons, a lot would have to go seriously wrong. The median outcome is they have a strong regular season and peak in the second round or East Finals.
The best-case scenario is them making the NBA Finals for the first time in more than 25 years, possibly winning it all. In no scenario would Simmons have impacted that. His loss, not the Knicks'.