The offseason appears all but wrapped up for the Knicks, coming off some housekeeping items in filling out their coaching staff and signing Mikal Bridges to an extension.
They still don’t have a full roster, however, with an open spot to sign one of their second-round picks and another to add a veteran on a minimum deal. The latter has been cause for speculation, with a few intriguing targets available and multiple needs the Knicks could potentially address.
Here are their options for the last veteran’s minimum spot and who might be the most valuable this season...
Ben Simmons
According to ClutchPoints’s Brett Siegel, the Knicks are favorites to land Simmons, the former first overall pick, Rookie of the Year and perennial All-NBA Defensive First Team selection.
Unfortunately, fans expecting that level of production are likely to be disappointed, as Simmons hasn’t been the same since his back issues and holdout season.
In fact, he hasn’t been a fraction of his former effectiveness. In his three seasons since, Simmons hasn’t eclipsed 51 games played or seven points per game in those games, totaling twice as many turnovers as free throws.
Simmons can still push the ball off a defensive rebound and bring it up in the half-court, but has lost all aggressiveness on offense. He rarely looks to drive and when he does, it’s rare he actually attacks the rim with any real intent to score or draw in the defense.
He can screen and make connective plays from there, a tantalizing prospect under Mike Brown’s Domantas Sabonis playbook -- but this and some decent defense won’t make him anything more than a spot minutes specialist.
Even his defense has slid off a cliff, lacking the foot speed to stay with quicker guards and the verticality and imposition around the rim to protect it. There’s a reason his playoff minutes quickly descended to multiple DNP’s as the Clippers learned of his decline the hard way.
That said, none of the available options are the swing piece between the Knicks winning a championship and falling short, and Simmons represents the highest upside and biggest frame of the bunch, which makes his case viable.
Malcolm Brogdon
New York beefed up its guard position with the addition of Jordan Clarkson, rounding out their rotation of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. Kolek looked the part as a break-glass-in-emergency point guard last season, and is in line to fill that role as the team’s fourth guard this year.
If the Knicks have any reservations, signing Brogdon would be a nice insurance policy on their backcourt options. Like Simmons, he’s likely past his prime but can provide some reliable playmaking.
Unlike Simmons, he’s only two years removed from winning Sixth Man of the Year and currently has some more credible NBA skills. Brogdon is a career 38.8 percent shooter from three and has evolved into more of a distributor in his last few seasons.
His numbers have been otherwise unimpressive as of late, but he’s spent two years mired in unclear roles in rebuilding situations. Putting him in position to help more sporadically for a championship chaser may be just the thing he needs to have a strong year.
This minimum contract may be better utilized at a position of more value or need, as the Knicks can always lean on Kolek or their non-guards to facilitate. If they’re dead-set on a guard, Brogdon isn’t their only option.
Russell Westbrook
Westbrook looks like a long shot, given rumors don’t tie him to New York and there’s no clear path to consistent minutes in this rotation. With that being said, he’s proven much more impactful than Brogdon or Simmons in recent years, and would be an absolute firecracker of an add if the Knicks pulled it off.
What Westbrook’s lost in athleticism and scoring efficiency, he’s learned to make up for with his defensive tenacity and high-motor play. He does not take a play, let alone a game, off, and is always full tempo when he’s on the court.
These are valuable things to bring off your bench, especially in a limited role on a small deal, it’s just unlikely Westbrook takes one with three guards ahead of him on the depth chart. Fun to think about, especially in the context of a slower Knicks team, but not much else to consider here.
Thomas Bryant
One position the Knicks may want to heavily consider using this spot for is the center spot. Their current rotation is made up of Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti, and if they start the double-big lineup, this essentially leaves them one backup five to start the year.
They have interesting alternative options at the center like sliding newly-signed Guerschon Yabusele down a position or playing OG Anunoby there, and can always move Robinson back to the bench. However, signing a depth piece at the position like Thomas Bryant gives them more security in case injuries hit.
Fans will remember Bryant from his timely threes against the Knicks in the conference finals. He’s now bounced between five teams in his eight-year NBA career, but can step in in a pinch with some offensive rebounding and rim deterrence.
A report from Kevin Martorano of Sportando stated that Bryant may be packing his bags for Greece, in which case the Knicks may need to turn to another center option. Other names they can target are Bol Bol and Bismack Biyombo.
Landry Shamet
Another thing this roster could use is some pure shooting, as their two offensive hubs are also their best shooters, and their role players could sometimes be iffy from range. Their two bench pickups this offseason are reliable, but nothing extraordinary from there either.
Enter Shamet, who was one of New York’s best bench pieces in 2024-25.
If he’s interested in returning on a veteran’s minimum without assured playing time, the Knicks would happily welcome back his career 38.5 percent clip from deep.
Unlike some of these other options, Shamet has some positional flexibility, with the ability to play and guard one through three. He was clutch in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, shooting 7-15 from three in the series and playing some stifling defense after not playing for essentially the entire postseason.
There’s also Delon Wright, who’s still a free agent after giving the Knicks dependable spot minutes in last year’s regular season and playoffs. He’d be another worthwhile signing if they’re looking to go smaller and more defensive.
