Ben Simmons is one of the most controversial players in the NBA, and as a result, has been plastered everywhere including on “Knicks Twitter.”
The New York Knicks and Simmons now have something in common, they were both eliminated from the 2021 NBA playoffs at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. With his Philadelphia 76ers’ exit from play, NBA fans and media have once again risen from the woodwork to criticize the 6’11” point guard.
For years now, the fit of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid has been questioned, and the Sixers eventually fall short in their chase for a championship. Embiid just finished second in the league in MVP voting, an award he very likely could have won had he not went down to injury for a portion of the regular season. This, along with the prospect that Simmons is a player with a max contract barely averaging double-digit points per game who was kept rather than traded for James Harden earlier this year, is just the latest in a mounting pile of evidence that suggests Philly should move on from Simmons.
The question now is, who trades for Simmons? His value is certainly at an all-time low. No way does he now get consideration for being traded in exchange for a player of Harden’s caliber. There are legitimate gripes with Simmons as a potential impact player on a championship roster, at least when assuming he is to have the same role he’s had in Philadelphia for another team. His deficiencies so far have made it look like he is incapable of being the second-best player on such a roster.
So, with the Knicks in need of a point guard and looking to upgrade the roster in hopes of contending, would making a move for Simmons make sense? Let’s discuss…
Knicks Twitter.”</p>
<p>The New York Knicks and Simmons now have something in common, they were both eliminated from the 2021 NBA playoffs at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks. With his Philadelphia 76ers’ exit from play, NBA fans and media have once again risen from the woodwork to criticize the 6’11” point guard.</p>
<p>For years now, the fit of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid has been questioned, and the Sixers eventually fall short in their chase for a championship. Embiid just finished second in the league in MVP voting, an award he very likely could have won had he not went down to injury for a portion of the regular season. This, along with the prospect that Simmons is a player with a max contract barely averaging double-digit points per game who was kept rather than traded for James Harden earlier this year, is just the latest in a mounting pile of evidence that suggests Philly should move on from Simmons.</p>
<h2>Ben Simmons Isn’t A Superstar, but Can He Still Help The Knicks?</h2>
<p>The question now is, who trades for Simmons? His value is certainly at an all-time low. No way does he now get consideration for being traded in exchange for a player of Harden’s caliber. There are legitimate gripes with Simmons as a potential impact player on a championship roster, at least when assuming he is to have the same role he’s had in Philadelphia for another team. His deficiencies so far have made it look like he is incapable of being the second-best player on such a roster.</p>
<p>So, with the Knicks in need of a point guard and looking to upgrade the roster in hopes of contending, would making a move for Simmons make sense? Let’s discuss…</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> How would SImmons fit with NY? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-115043" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1300227523.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1300227523.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1300227523-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Ben Simmons, NY Knicks. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NY Knicks: Ben Simmons’ Strengths And Weaknesses</h2>
<p>In order to understand how any player including Ben Simmons would fit properly with the Knicks, we need to address the Knicks’ weaknesses.</p>
<p>The Knicks could see Derrick Rose return and will of course be expecting <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/20/new-york-knicks-all-rookie-team-immanuel-quickley/">Immanuel Quickley</a> to still be here come next season, but <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/11/new-york-knicks-evaluating-6-potential-point-guard-options/">the team could definitely still use an upgrade at point guard.</a> Between the lack of star power at the position and on the team period, and a lack of playmaking outside of Rose, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett, Simmons sounds like an easy plug-in option.</p>
<p>Ben Simmons is one of the elite playmakers in the NBA. His ability to create for others and assume a heavy portion of the ball handling for an offense would take a ton of pressure off of the Knicks guards and more importantly Randle.</p>
<p>Despite the Game 7 loss on Sunday night, Simmons was able to neutralize the Hawks Trae Young, something the Knicks struggled mightily with in the first round. Young finished with a paltry 5-23 performance in which he only made 2 of 11 three-point attempts. Simmons was the primary defender on Young for most of that game, so while Simmons certainly deserves some blame for the Game 7 loss and the series loss, Simmons did contribute in a big way the keep the game competitive. Being able to lockdown a player as lethal as Young is not something to be ignored. Simmons is also elite on defense, both on the perimeter and in the paint. The Knicks have an elite defense but are without many ball stoppers.</p>
<p>In these ways, Simmons is sort of like a bigger Lonzo Ball. Both Simmons and Ball are large point guards that can run an offense and provide great defense. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/10/new-york-knicks-series-hawks-lonzo-ball/">Both could have potentially made a world of difference for NY against Atlanta in the quarterfinals.</a></p>
<p>However, for all of the boxes that Simmons checks off for the Knicks, the biggest flaws in his game could still prove fatal for NY even in that new environment. The Knicks still need shooting despite finishing among the league’s best in 3P%. The biggest knock on Simmons is his complete inability and or willingness to shoot. He also doesn’t score often. His nonexistent aggressiveness to score wouldn’t help the Knicks, one of the league’s lowest-scoring teams. Just as the last few years have proven, eventually these red flags will catch up to Simmons’ team and cause postseason heartbreak unless he finally breaks his current player mold.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A possible position change? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118390" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1315074315.jpeg" alt="Knicks" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1315074315.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1315074315-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Ben Simmons, Knicks. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2><strong>Could Ben Simmons At Center Fit With The New York Knicks?</strong></h2>
<p>The only other way Simmons can elevate his game and his team’s success is if he makes the move to center. For a moment consider the parallels of Simmons and Giannis Antetokounmpo, both are giant freak athletes with playmaking chops. Both of them can also anchor a defense. Because both players’ biggest issue is outside shooting, it has increasingly made more sense for these two to embrace being centers. In today’s small-ball and position-less NBA, they can mask their inability to stretch the floor by doing what they already do, command the ball-handling duties, and run the offense with four shooters around them.</p>
<p>Both players are strong rebounders and can protect the rim. By moving to center, opponents will always struggle with their playmaking taking advantage of being surrounded by shooting. Then on defense, they can still have an elite impact.</p>
<p>The Knicks are one of the many teams that still benefit from having a more traditional center. Other teams include the Utah Jazz and Sixers themselves. However, if Simmons commits to being a center and is utilized in that way with the Knicks, it could do wonders. The Knicks have success with Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel. Now, what if those guys could handle the ball like a point guard and run the offense, making their lack of stretching the floor less of a problem? I think if you replaced Simmons with those guys, you can elevate the offense while still maintaining an elite defense.</p>
<p>A decent example of how this could work is revealed when looking at Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets. Sure, Jokic can at least dominate with his scoring and even light it up from three from time to time. But, Denver mostly sees great offensive success because of Jokic’s incredible playmaking at the center position alone. Jokic both as the man in the middle and off of the dribble has the Nuggets offense always working like a well-oiled machine. Simmons’ playmaking talent isn’t far off from Jokic’s, and Simmons is undoubtedly a better athlete and ball handler.</p>
<p>Obviously, with Embiid present, none of this will happen unless the Sixers mover on from Simmons and ship him to a team that doesn’t have a high usage center clogging the paint. If can make his way to such a team and unlock himself in a Jokic style role, it could do wonders for his career, his perception, and the Knicks if they were the ones to trade for him.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Should the Knicks pull trigger? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118391" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1318186959.jpeg" alt="Knicks" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1318186959.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1318186959-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Ben Simmons, Knicks. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Should The New York Knicks Trade For Ben Simmons?</h2>
<p>Despite how great of a fit Simmons can be under the right circumstances, I don’t believe the Knicks should trade for him.</p>
<p>For every positive Simmons embodies, there are still too many glaring holes in his game. In the modern NBA, shooting is way too important. Everybody saw how poorly Simmons did at the free-throw line versus the Atlanta Hawks. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://www.nba.com/news/ben-simmons-making-nba-history-with-free-throw-woes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It was historically bad. </a>Had Simmons shot better from the charity stripe, his team could have won the series.</p>
<p>While the prospect of Simmons transitioning to center sounds great on paper, it is still too much of a risk to take for a team on the rise like New York. The Knicks need to continue to make the right decisions to get closer to contention, and that means not taking huge gambles on players who have time and time again failed to see significant success.</p>
<p>Simmons on his contract is not worth it. Even if the Knicks trade small potatoes for him, Simmons’ salary will fill up a majority of NY’s enormous cap space. They need to utilize the advantage of having money to spend in ways that are likely to see trustworthy results.</p>
<p>Not to mention the Philadelphia 76ers are a division rival. The last thing the Knicks need to do is potentially sabotage their own future by helping a rival team get out from under a bad contract and a player who has played a major role in their shortcomings.</p>
<p>The Knicks and their abundance of assets should stay far away from any Simmons bidding war or garage sale level auction that takes place. There are teams that are desperate enough to take the risk on Simmons and try to find success with him by sacrificing some commodities and a couple of seasons to find the right formula with Simmons. The New York Knicks are no longer one of those teams.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Knicks Mock Draft 2.0: Trading up in the draft" data-url="https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/06/2021-nba-draft-mock-draft-2-knicks/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/23/new-york-knicks-trade-ben-simmons/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/06/2021-nba-draft-mock-draft-2-knicks/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Knicks Mock Draft 2.0: Trading up in the draft </a> </div>
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