Ben Simmons reportedly rejected a Knicks training-camp invitation over guaranteed money. After missing a full NBA season, he may now need to accept a similar deal.
Ben Simmons is attempting to return to the NBA, but the type of opportunity he needs may look uncomfortably similar to the one he reportedly rejected from the New York Knicks.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, New York offered Simmons a training-camp invitation last year without guaranteed money. The former No. 1 pick declined, with the lack of financial security playing a major role in his decision.
One year later, the market has become even less favorable. Simmons missed the entire 2025-26 season while resting and rehabilitating the back problem that has disrupted his career. Teams are reportedly unwilling to offer him a guaranteed roster spot without first evaluating his health, athleticism and performance in competitive five-on-five basketball.
That creates an unavoidable question: will Simmons now accept the same kind of non-guaranteed opportunity he considered insufficient when the Knicks presented it?
The decision looks especially costly in hindsight. New York went on to win its first NBA championship in 53 years. Simmons could have competed for a place inside a title-winning organization, rebuilt his reputation in the league’s largest market and potentially contributed to a roster that valued defense, size and versatile playmaking.
Instead, he remained outside the NBA while the Knicks reached the summit.
Rejecting New York became a major missed opportunity
The Knicks’ reported offer contained no guarantee that Simmons would make the final roster. He would have needed to prove himself during training camp, compete for minutes and demonstrate that his body could withstand the demands of an NBA season.
From Simmons’ perspective, rejecting that arrangement was understandable. He had earned more than $200 million during his career, made three All-Star teams and established himself as one of the league’s most versatile defenders at his peak. Accepting a non-guaranteed invitation would have represented a dramatic decline in status.
His recent history, however, gave teams little reason to offer greater security. Injuries had limited his availability, his scoring aggression had declined and questions about his confidence continued to overshadow the qualities that once made him a franchise cornerstone.
New York could have provided a logical environment for a comeback. Simmons would not have been asked to function as a primary scorer. His size, passing and defensive versatility could have been used in limited lineups around shooters and established offensive creators.
The Knicks also had strong leadership and a clearly defined hierarchy. Jalen Brunson controlled the offense, while OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns already understood their responsibilities. Simmons could have focused on defending, rebounding and creating in transition without carrying the expectations attached to his previous roles in Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
There is no guarantee the experiment would have succeeded. Simmons might not have made the roster, and his physical limitations could still have prevented him from contributing. Yet the potential reward was enormous. Joining a team that ultimately won the championship might have changed the trajectory of his career.
Simmons must prove he can still handle NBA competition
Fischer indicated that teams now want to see Simmons compete repeatedly in five-on-five settings before committing guaranteed money. Individual workouts and training videos cannot answer the central questions surrounding his comeback.
NBA executives need to determine whether he has recovered enough explosiveness to defend elite guards and wings, attack open space and finish around the rim. They must also see how his back responds to contact, consecutive practices and the physical demands of competitive basketball.
Simmons last appeared during the 2024-25 season, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists, numbers that reflected his continued ability to facilitate but also the extent of his offensive decline.
He is now training in Melbourne alongside Australian players including Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova and Xavier Cooks. Participating in the national-team environment provides Simmons with an opportunity to rebuild rhythm while allowing observers to assess his movement against high-level competition.
In a recent social media message, Simmons embraced the difficult stages of his career and described himself as ready for whatever comes next. The words suggest greater acceptance of his current position, but his willingness to accept a modest contract will matter more than any statement.
The NBA no longer views him as a former Rookie of the Year or three-time All-Star entitled to guaranteed money. Teams will evaluate him as a reclamation project who must prove that his body and game remain dependable.
His decline began publicly during the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, when passing up an open dunk became the enduring image of Philadelphia’s elimination. That moment did not cause every problem that followed, but it transformed the way Simmons was perceived and intensified scrutiny of his reluctance to score.
A successful comeback will require humility. Simmons may need to enter camp without financial protection, accept a limited role and rebuild trust possession by possession. Those are precisely the conditions he reportedly refused when the Knicks offered them.
New York has since won a championship and moved forward. Simmons is still searching for a way back. The opportunity he declined may now serve as the clearest lesson of his comeback: reputation can secure an invitation, but only availability and performance can restore an NBA career.
