Free agent guard Ben Simmons turned down a one-year contract from the New York Knicks earlier this offseason, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein revealed on his Substack.
The Knicks, operating close to the league’s hard cap, were limited to the veteran’s minimum for any new signing, making that the maximum they could place on the table for the 29-year-old. Stein noted that Simmons remains intent on securing a deal worth more than the minimum.
Simmons was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018, earned three consecutive All-Star selections from 2019 to 2021 and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021. He signed a full max rookie extension in 2019, but that contract ended in February when he reached a buyout before joining the Los Angeles Clippers on a rest-of-season minimum agreement.
Multiple back surgeries have hampered Simmons in recent seasons, and his offensive production has steadily declined. His field-goal attempts per 36 minutes have fallen every year, sliding from 13.2 in his 2017-18 rookie campaign to 7.2 in 2024-25. While he accepted February’s minimum deal with the Clippers, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer recently reported that Simmons is struggling with the perception that he is now a minimum-salary player. Fischer added that veteran agent Bernie Lee has cut ties with the former No. 1 overall pick, and that Simmons is not fully committed to continuing his career.
According to Stein, the Knicks and Boston Celtics showed the most serious interest in the three-time All-Star this summer. Boston, like New York, would also be confined to a minimum-salary offer because of its proximity to the luxury-tax aprons.
Source: Hoops Rumors
