Ben Simmons remains a free agent after turning down New York Knicks’ one-year offer

Three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons remains a free agent just weeks before teams reconvene for training camp.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Monday, September 8, that the New York Knicks—who are limited to minimum-salary offers—extended a one-year deal to Simmons, only for the 29-year-old to decline.

“The New York Knicks, league sources said, indeed offered a one-year contract to Ben Simmons that the former All-Star passed on. New York is limited to minimum contract offers as training camps draw near, and Simmons entered the summer hopeful of securing a contract above the minimum after he split last season between the Nets and Clippers,” Stein wrote.

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He added that both Boston and New York showed the most serious interest in Simmons during the offseason.

The update comes after Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that Simmons is considering retirement following years of back issues that have plagued his career.

Ben Simmons REJECTED a contract offer from the Knicks, per @TheSteinLine

“The Knicks, league sources said, indeed offered a one-year contract to Ben Simmons that the former All-Star passed on. New York is limited to minimum contract offers as training camps draw near and… pic.twitter.com/p44NgQricg

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 8, 2025

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, Simmons sat out his rookie season due to injury but quickly emerged as one of the league’s top young stars. He earned Rookie of the Year honors, became a three-time All-Star, and was named to the All-Defensive Team twice in his first four playing seasons.

However, injuries and setbacks have defined much of his career. Simmons missed the entire 2016–17 campaign with a foot injury and sat out the 2021–22 season due to a holdout and recurring back problems. In 275 games with Philadelphia, he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, before three injury-riddled seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, where his production dropped to 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across 90 games.

Since joining the Los Angeles Clippers last season, his role diminished even further. Simmons averaged just 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game and logged only 42 total minutes in the Clippers’ seven-game playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Once regarded as one of the NBA’s most versatile playmakers, Simmons has not made an All-Star team, averaged more than seven points, played over 51 games in a season, or attempted more than six shots per game since 2021.

Despite his struggles, Simmons is still just 29 years old. If he can finally overcome his chronic back issues, the former top pick has the skill set to contribute meaningfully to any team willing to take a chance.