Knicks: Should New York make a move for Ben Simmons?

The Knicks need to make a change at point guard, this is not news for anyone. Whether it be handing Immanuel Quickley the keys or making a trade before the March 25th deadline, a move is necessary sooner than later. The addition of Derrick Rose was a huge step in the right direction but Rose projects as more of a 6th man, second-unit scoring guard more so than a primary facilitator.

Would trading for Ben Simmons make the New York Knicks any better?

With that being said, I could definitely see the Knicks dipping their toes in the Ben Simmons trade market. Simmons is struggling mightily this season as his points per game averages are down from 16.4 to 13.5 on the season. His defensive, assisting, and rebounding numbers have pretty much stayed the same but I’m sure his scoring output being on a downward trend can be a cause for concern in the 76ers front office. I love the idea of grabbing players who struggle under a new coaching staff (ex. Lonzo Ball) as their value diminishes which could help the Knicks acquire them for a nice discount.

With extra emphasis on Ben Simmons starting to shoot from either mid rage or deep in games, it seems to have stunted his ability to attack the rim as aggressively as he was before. As a player standing at 6’10 with guard-like athleticism and ball skills, I believe Simmons would be far better suited on a team built entirely around him. History has shown that the NBA isn’t just about acquiring as much talent as possible and hoping for the best — it’s about finding guys that play well off one another. I truly believe Ben Simmons can turn into a “Greek Freak” type of player with a team built around him sporting a bunch of spot-up shooters. Philadelphia tried to improve their shooting around Simmons this offseason by acquiring guys like Seth Curry and Danny Green, but it’s becoming more and more evident that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid just cannot coexist on the floor at the same time.

If I were apart of the Knicks front office, I wouldn’t explore the idea of this trade until the offseason, as Philadelphia is still leading the pack in the Eastern Conference for now and still have title aspirations. Once they’re bounced by the Celtics, Bucks, or Nets in the 2nd round yet again, they lose a lot of their leverage, especially if Simmons continues to struggle.

Personally, I don’t think I would actually make this trade unless the Knicks were able to pair Simmons with another superstar-level talent that fits well alongside him like a Zach Lavine or if I’m dreaming even bigger, maybe even a Bradley Beal. If Minnesota continues to be just awful the rest of the season, Karl Anthony-Towns may demand a trade and I see him pairing better with a guy like Ben Simmons than Joel Embiid does currently. There are also a few front-office guys like Alex Kline who have prior relationships with KAT and the Kentucky connection with Kenny Payne is not something to look past either.

While this could be a really fun idea, I do think the Knicks stand pat and stay the course. Now, if the right opportunity were to arise and we could pair Simmons with another mega-star, I say, why not?