The New York Knicks are keen to sign Ben Simmons, but so are three other teams, namely the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
The Knicks remain locked in a bidding war for the former No. 1 overall pick, per multiple insiders. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Suns are looking for a “veteran ballhandler” to complement the backcourt of Devin Booker and Jalen Green, and believe that Simmons, a former three-time All-Star, fits that description .
“League sources say that the Suns have also had some recent dialogue with former All-Star Ben Simmons, who I’m told has drawn interest since free agency began from Boston, New York and Sacramento,” Stein wrote on his Substack newsletter on July 20.
Earlier, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Knicks have zeroed in on Simmons as a key target to shore up backcourt depth, but didn’t rule out the possibility of , Russell Westbrook, Malcolm Brogdon and Chris Paul as other targets.
Knicks Seeking Backcourt Depth
The Knicks have reportedly been in touch with Simmons since the start of free agency on July 1.
“The two teams that we can report on that have ongoing interest in Ben Simmons are Sacramento and New York. That’s the last word we got as we’re leaving Las Vegas,” Fischer said on his “Insider Notebook” livestreamed on Bleacher Report on July 17.
“So, generally speaking, the Kings are still a player in the veteran guard market, and you can absolutely put Ben Simmons in that conversation, even though he’s obviously more of a hybrid player than Malcolm Brogdon, than [Russel] Westbrook, than Chris Paul.”
As of July 21, the Knicks had 12 players under contract and three roster spots to fill. The NBA requires each team to enter training camp with at least 14 players, with the possibility of adding a 15th player at some point during the season.
Knicks Roster Update
The 12 players are as follows: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Clarkson, Guerschon Yabusele, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet.
While Clarkson and Yabusele were the two big free agency signings, the Knicks have yet to make a call on bringing back the likes of Landry Shamet, Delon Wright, and Cameron Payne, who were key members of the rotation in the 2024-25 season.
The Knicks are also reportedly considering signing Kevin McCullar Jr., who made a big impression during the 2025 Summer League.
“Kevin was solid,” Knicks summer league coach Jordan Brink said of the rookie, via New York Post.
“Got to take care of the ball a little bit better and that’s part of the learning curve for him as a primary ball handler. You see he had a mask on. He got hit in the head and then he got hit in the head again. That’s kind of how he plays. He’s a gritty player. He’s always in the mix with the physical contact. He fought through and I thought he had a pretty good game.”
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