The New York Knicks are undergoing a roster restructuring ahead of the 2025-2026 season, aiming to strengthen their bench depth and add veteran experience without compromising their salary cap flexibility. In recent days, the New York franchise has signed veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon to a non-guaranteed one-year deal, betting on his leadership, playmaking ability, and playoff experience.

They also renewed shooting guard Landry Shamet on a similar one-year, non-guaranteed contract to provide outside shooting and backcourt rotation. However, one of the topics that has generated the most attention around the Knicks has been the situation involving Ben Simmons. According to various U.S. media reports, the team offered him a one-year veteran minimum contract, which seemed like a low-risk move to evaluate his physical and mental state.

Nevertheless, Simmons rejected the offer, which has been interpreted as a sign that he is not willing to accept a secondary role or a significant pay cut at this stage of his career. This refusal has also reignited doubts about his competitive commitment and overall health, as injuries and inconsistency have severely limited his performance in recent years.

Following Simmons’ rejection, the Knicks have chosen to move on and focus their efforts on other players to complete the roster, prioritizing lower-risk, more reliable options. With these moves, the front office hopes to build a more balanced and deeper team capable of competing in the demanding Eastern Conference while preserving long-term flexibility and maintaining enough salary cap space for potential future star signings.