2 Reasons for and 2 Against Knicks Possibly Signing Ben Simmons

The Knicks are still in the market for a third center option, especially after watching Nick Richards sign with the Heat on Thursday.

The likes of journeyman Bismack Biyombo, Tony Bradley, Mason Plumlee, and Drew Eubanks are still available. Kevin Love and Kelly Olynyk give you stretch-five candidates, but they’re both on the wrong side of 30.

Meanwhile, Ben Simmons is looking to return to the NBA after taking the 2025-26 season off. While he’d be a great fit for a Knicks’ roster looking for playmaking and size out of their bench, there's both pros and cons to consider with the alluring talent.

Reason No. 1 to sign Simmons: Knicks thrived in small lineups last season

Interestingly, the Knicks had a 122.2 offensive rating, 106 defensive rating, and +16.2 net rating across 89 minutes during the 2025-26 regular season where the team didn’t have a traditional center on the floor (that includes two-way guys and Guerschon Yabusele).

A lot of those lineups that weren’t in garbage time featured OG Anunoby at the center position, or late-season addition Jeremy Sochan.

Realistically, the Knicks would want to put four shooters around a non-traditional big that doesn’t shoot. But they have the personnel to do just that thanks to a meticulously crafted roster.

The last time Simmons played in the NBA was at the end of the 2024-25 season with the Clippers as a backup big off the bench. In his 18 games to end the regular season with the Clippers, the team had a 119.5 ORTG, 116.3 DRTG, and +3.2 NETRTG with him on the floor (but they were better with him off the floor).

Ben Simmons guards — Ben Simmons would be a defensive weapon for the Knicks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The thing that is intriguing from his time with the Clippers was how well he meshed with the two most used five-man lineups during his time with the team in the regular season.

He played 39 minutes in a five-man lineup alongside James Harden, Bogdan Bogdanović, Derrick Jones Jr., and Nicolas Batum, and the Clippers had a 141.5 ORTG, 116.7 DRTG, and +24.8 NETRTG with a 66.9% TS% in that lineup.

He played 36 minutes in a five-man lineup with Harden, Bogdanović, Jones Jr., and Kawhi Leonard, and the Clippers had a 147 ORTG, 104.3 DRTG, and +42.6 NETRTG with a 77.3% TS% in that lineup.

Clearly, Simmons showed that he was able to mesh with an all-shooters lineup as the big in the lineup when he was with the Los angeles. The Knicks could replicate that, and Simmons has shown to have a great defensive IQ in the NBA with multiple All-Defensive honors in his career, which lends credence to the idea of relying on him at the five in a smaller unit.

Reason No. 2 to sign Simmons: He would add a defensive boost

Speaking of defense, it should be noted that a team has never posted a DRTG over 112 with him on the floor in a season, outside of a brief 33-game stretch (115 DRTG) he played with a tanking Nets team in 2024-25, according to Basketball Reference.

In his 18-game regular-season stint with the Clippers to finish the 2024-25 season, the Clippers had a 109 DRTG with him on the floor. For his career, he has a 107 DRTG—and while a lot of that defense came before the uptick in league-wide offense post-2020/21 season, the league-wide ORTG in 2025-26 was 115.7.

Simmons brings a different type of look that you can throw at offenses from the defensive side. He had shown in the past that he can guard any position, one through five. He'd provide a Draymond Green-type boost from the end of the bench.

Reason No. 1 to avoid Simmons: He's had constant availability issues

However, there are downsides to signing Simmons. For starters, his availability over the past five seasons has been pretty suspect.

Simmons didn’t play in 2021-22 due to simply not wanting to be a member of the Sixers and he later had a back issue that caused him to miss the remainder of the season. He’s had constant knee and back issues over the three campaigns with Brooklyn and the Clippers, before sitting out the 2025-26 season.

Ben Simmons dribble — Can Ben Simmons fill the smaller role the Knicks would need from him? | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If Simmons were to be signed as the third big on the Knicks’ roster, you’d have to expect him to at least be available when the Knicks might decide to rest Karl-Anthony Towns on one end of a back-to-back, or if either him or Andre Drummond were to be injured.

The one thing that sadly can’t be relied on when it comes to Simmons is him being ready at a moment's notice.

Reason No. 2 to avoid Simmons: It would be a large adjustment for him

The 30-year-old is also coming off an entire year off of not playing in a professional basketball game. The likelihood that he’s rusty off the jump is probably high.

If you're expecting Simmons to make an impact, you'd need him to be able to adjust and be a contributor. He comes with hang-ups but also would require a veteran minimum to sign, which would put a lot of risk on New York's plate. You'd also have to wonder if he’d even be willing to take an end-of-the-bench role with his NBA resume.

With him coming off a year of not even being on an NBA roster, hopefully he'd be willing to sacrifice to join an NBA contender. Though when the Knicks looked his way last offseason, he wanted more money.

The Knicks going after Ben Simmons for one of their final roster spots would definitely present a swing at upside, but also one that could see them fall on their faces. However, when you’re trying to win championships, those types of swings need to be taken.

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