Tom Thibodeau never leaned into spacing out the Knicks' offense, something many thought would unlock the best of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. When the Knicks hired Mike Brown to replace Thibodeau, the hope was that he would be more flexible in that regard. SNY's Ian Begley reported the Knicks have continued to touch base with Ben Simmons in free agency, a move that would only hurt the Knicks' ability to space the floor at an optimal level.
Simmons' career decline has been sharp. That said, he still can provide value to a team. He has elite size for someone who is able to handle the ball and pass at a high level, a combination that makes him an effective point-center in today's NBA.