An insider believes the New York Knicks will eventually fail to add a top free agent target this offseason.
New York has three open spots on its 15-man standard roster, with training camp just weeks away.
Although Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported Monday that New York had tendered a minimum contract offer to former three-time All-Star guard Ben Simmons and been rejected, SNY.tv's Ian Begley has pushed back at that notion.
A former star for New York's deep bench
Begley insists that a pair of free agent backcourt vets, former Knicks shooting guard Landry Shamet and former Sixth Man of the Year combo guard Malcolm Brogdon, are both seen as a higher priority over Simmons.
Knicks have had dialogue with free agent Ben Simmons over the course of the offseason and certainly have had interest in him, but club has never made a formal offer to Simmons, per league sources. Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon among those on NYK radar for its lone roster spot
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 8, 2025
Sadly, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report is convinced that New York will ultimately miss out on adding Brogdon, who will opt to join the Minnesota Timberwolves instead.
"Malcolm Brogdon is an experienced veteran guard who can defend and shoot, but he has struggled to stay healthy throughout much of his career," Pincus writes.
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"The Wizards are going with a young roster, but they also acquired CJ McCollum via trade and have no practical need for Brogdon," Pincus adds.
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"Several teams could use help at guard, such as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks," Pincus notes.
Ultimately, Pincus predicts that another 2025 Conference Finals squad, Minnesota, would bring in Brogdon. Does this mean Shamet or Simmons could find a home in Madison Square Garden after all?
And what kind of Brogdon would New York be getting? In his prime, the 6-foot-4 Virginia product was a big, two-way threat with a good handle and a solid long range stroke.
Brogdon has only been healthy for a combined 63 games across his last two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards. Last year in Washington, he averaged 12.7 points on .433/.286/.880 shooting splits, 4.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 0.5 steals in 23.5 minutes per. That's his worst scoring output since his 2016-17 rookie season.
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