Knicks Unlikely to Add Former All-Star

The New York Knicks have been heavily involved in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes ever since all of the other desirable free agents flew off of the board. Interesting names remain out there for teams looking to fill out their benches, but Simmons continues to hold up the line.

Some of those intriguing free agent role players were snatched up by the Knicks themselves, having already nabbed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele as reserves who could help the team jump from Eastern Conference Finalist hopefuls into fearsome contenders.

They were one of the only potential Simmons destinations with any chance of competing, making them look like an early favorite to add the former star to their ranks. He's more of a defensively-tilted, pass-first frontcourt body than he was when he was in his prime a few years ago, a blur of a point forward with franchise player appeal, but he'd still be helpful as a connective bench piece.

Despite beliefs that the already-deep Knicks fit his game better than anyone, already occupying the shooters for him to fling the ball to on fast breaks, some believe that he's reluctant to return to New York after his stint with the Brooklyn Nets, as well as the potential criticism that comes with the territory.

“Of the places he could land, they’d be at the bottom of the list,” one GM said. “They’re the long shot. He does not want the scrutiny. And they want to have room to use the whole roster, that’s one reason they got rid of (coach Tom Thibodeau). If you’re bringing in a veteran who is hurt half the season, it’s going to prevent you from seeing what you’ve got with your young guys.”

Simmons' career took a memorable turn a little over four years ago when Philadelphia, a city that had watched him develop from intriguing prospect into an All-Star, turned on him following a particularly ugly playoff loss. Since then, many of his choices on and off the court relate back to the idea that he'd rather not put himself in harm's way again, even if there's a chance to compete for an NBA title as a rotational piece on the table.

He's shown the ability to perform in winning environments since forcing his way from the 76ers, playing some good basketball in short stints with last season's Los Angeles Clippers, but that anonymous general manager joins a fleet of analysts who believe that Simmons is done with the spotlight.

Teams remain on Simmons' schedule as he makes up his mind, but associations like the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics with significantly diminished championship odds now look like potential favorites to swipe the former No. 1 overall pick from the open market.