NBA Veteran Announces Knicks’ Future After Ben Simmons Drama Takes New Turn

The Knicks aren’t done rebuilding. But far from big and bold as they’re prone to do with how they acquired the like of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson, its current strategy is, “low-risk, high rewards.” That is the buzz surrounding Ben Simmons. While the front office was reportedly working this out, its players – past and present – were hyping New Yorkers up for a potential championship.

Jalen Brunson and josh Hart hosted The Roommates Show Block Party at Central Park in New York this weekend before Brunson was spotted at the US Open. Along with giving Jordan Clarkson a Big Apple welcome, they had a very special guest.

Jamal Crawford joined the live podcast show on the day NBC drops its first TV spot for the upcoming NBA season. J-Crossover joins a star-studded lineup featuring fellow Knicks legend, Carmelo Anthony as wells as Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Reggie Miller. Back in New York, Crawford showed some analyst chops or analyst bias sitting to the current Knicks stars.

He first hyped the crowd asking, “I need y’all’s energy. Do y’all really believe the Knicks will be in the Finals this year?” Do not judge the phrasing. The ‘really’ has no sarcastic implication. The crowd got it. And they screamed their belief that 2026, almost three decades since the last time the Knicks were in the finals, is their year.

Crawford got the answer he was hoping for loud and clear. Maybe he missed this very energy he played with from 2004 to 2008. “Yeah, I believe it. And I’m going to be honest with you, I’ve been here since 2004… and there’s no fans like you guys. You guys bring the best out of them. You guys make these guys superheroes on the court with the energy y’all bring.”

New York needs this kind of positivity. For an arguably strong roster since last season, the team still hasn’t cracked the postseason. Crawford has been rooting for Brunson to change it since he was still a TNT analyst. He doesn’t have much support in the fandom even if the crowd at Central Park strongly agreed. Can’t say what makes him so hopeful for the upcoming season. Maybe he heard the news about what the Knicks front office is upto that day.

Ben Simmons might be in Jamal Crawford-like situation

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson stirred Knicks nation this weekend with an interesting bit of news. According to his sources, the team is keen on signing at least one more player this offseason after acquiring Jordan Clarkson in July.

“The New York Knicks have emerged as one of the leading suitors for former All-Star Ben Simmons, league sources tell me, with both sides showing mutual interest as recently as last month about one of the team’s final roster spots,” Scoop B reported.

Simmons spent the last season between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. With every trade, his future becomes more uncertain. Most trade watchers are counting down the days to his retirement. The Knicks look like a potential last stop for Simmons for a minimum contract.

While it sounds great on paper, Simmons is reportedly looking for a contract above the veteran’s minimum. That doesn’t sound very ‘high rewards’ when the probability of him contributing to any team depends on his health. And that hasn’t been up to par in the past years.

The former no.1 draft pick of 2016 and RoTY has seen his numbers plummet to 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game with the Clippers last season.

Knicks fans have mixed reactions to this news. By mixed, it means either indifference or disappointment. There’s not much faith Simmons can be a meaningful addition to the Brunson-KAT combination.

Crawford has not commented on Simmons recently. But he was in his spot once, back in 2018 when the NBA journeyman was a free agent. At that time, Simmons, who was with the 76ers, wanted the team to sign the sharpshooter. That never happened. Crawford went to Phoenix and in one of his first games, crushed the Knicks with a career-high 14 assists. Crawford last played for the Nets in 2020 and but felt forced into retirement in 2022.

If Simmons is seeking a higher than minimum salary, he might begin training camp unsigned. Unless Knicks really make an offer he can’t refuse, he might be in the same position as Crawford once was, without an NBA team that doesn’t want to make room on their bench.