For several weeks now, reports have been circulating that the New York Knicks are interested in signing veteran free agent Ben Simmons to bring on more rotational versatility and, more specifically, a new understudy behind Jalen Brunson at the point guard position.
The club seemed so invested, in fact, that at one point they were argued to be the favorite to land the former All-Star's services.
However, as time has passed, it appears the odds that fans will see Simmons donning the white, orange, and blue threads in 2025-26 have dwindled drastically. So much so that SNY's Ian Begley recently revealed on an August 19 edition of The Putback that he "would probably take the field" over betting on the 29-year-old heading to the Big Apple.
Though the organization may feel a bit disheartened by the fact that such a polarizing player has a lack of interest in joining forces with last year's Eastern Conference runner-ups, on a far more positive note, their failure to reel Simmons in may actually increase the opportunities Tyler Kolek could see serving as the backup one guard within the rotation in his second year.
Knicks' failure to land Ben Simmons could bode well for Tyler Kolek
Though he may have seen limited action during his rookie go-around with the team, the Marquette product still managed to find ways to impress in his mere 296 total minutes of gametime in 2024-25.
From his flashy passing skills to his high-end pace of play, many were already heading into this coming season believing Kolek could be in line for an increased role within the backcourt rotation in year two, especially with head coach Mike Brown's newly implemented fast-paced system.
In fact, fans already bore witness to what the 24-year-old was capable of providing when given more run on the hardwood during a seven-game stretch from March 22 to April 2, where he dished out 6.2 assists compared to less than a single turnover per game while seeing 17.4 minutes on average.
It's worth noting that the Knicks went 5-2 during this stretch while Kolek ranked third on the team in net rating out of those who saw more than 10 minutes per game.
Now, with reports that he's been working on his shot off of the dribble this summer, there's been a steadily growing belief that the sophomore could be the frontrunner to fill in as Brunson's backup at the lead guard spot on the depth chart.
New York's suspected inability to land Ben Simmons should only increase the odds of Kolek serving in such a role.