The New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings have been widely earmarked as the top suitors for Ben Simmons. Still, the Golden State Warriors reportedly can’t be ruled out as a destination for the former No. 1 overall pick.
According to Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel, Simmons is likely delaying his decision to weigh offers from various teams, including the Warriors.
“[New York] Knicks and [Sacramento] Kings are known suitors for Simmons,” Siegel reported via X on August 21. “[Boston] Celtics have obviously been in that mix as well.”
“I wouldn’t be shocked if Simmons is holding out to see if any of these other situations create an opening for him — teams like Golden State, Atlanta (Hawks), and Cleveland (Cavaliers).”
Perfect Draymond Green Backup?
As of August 22, the Warriors had only nine players on the roster for the 2025-26 season. Many analysts urged Steve Kerr’s team to rope in Simmons, as the Australian could prove to be the perfect backup center/power forward to Draymond Green due to his playmaking and defensive chops.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus ranked the Kings, Knicks, Warriors and Timberwolves as his top four destinations for Simmons, while explaining why each situation made sense.
“Without Kuminga, Golden State needs to fill 2-3 roster spots. Simmons is similar in many ways to Draymond Green,” wrote Pincus. “Neither has earned their contracts through individual scoring, but through defense and playmaking. With an elite shooter like Steph Curry and a tough all-around competitor like Jimmy Butler, Golden State is a formidable contender in the Western Conference when healthy.
“Simmons wouldn’t fit alongside Green, but could be a valuable reserve behind him, so that the team doesn’t need to alter its style of play. Green is willing to take the outside shot, make or miss, the one glaring difference between the two.”
Knicks Have One Roster Spot Left
Unlike Simmons’ other suitors, the Knicks have only one roster spot left, and have reportedly been weighing their options before finalizing on their bench rotation for the 2025-26 season.
According to Knicks beat writer Ian Begley, the Knicks’ chances of landing Simmons are lower due to their roster situation, but it all depends on the Aussie.
“Logic tells me to take the field because there are so many different variables here for the Knicks,” Begley said of Simmons’ chances of signing with New York.
“They have interest, other teams have interest, and they have one spot unless they make a trade to open up another.”
Pincus, for one, believes Simmons and Knicks would be a seamless fit as the franchise still needs a reliable playmaker in the second unit.
“Simmons could relieve some of that pressure, with the size to play alongside [Jalen] Brunson or entirely with the second unit to help generate offense,” he wrote.
“Before acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks were primarily known as a grind-it-out defensive unit. That shifted to more of an offense-first squad, but the team still has plenty of strong wing defenders like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Simmons adds to that group while also addressing a need on offense.”
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