<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-new-york-insiders-ben-simmons-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: New York insiders deny report Ben Simmons was offered contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ben-Simmons.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: New York insiders deny report Ben Simmons was offered contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T10:20:33-07:00">September 9th, 10:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T10:20:33-07:00">September 9th, 10:20am</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks have one final spot left on their 15-man roster for the new season and multiple names have been linked in recent days. Earlier this week, Marc Stein of The Stein Line had reported that New York offered a one-year contract to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-did-new-york-offer-ben-simmons-contract">none other than three-time All-Star Ben Simmons.</a></p><p>However, according to <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/monday-best-the-latest-nba-trade?utm_campaign=email-post&amp;r=3shtjf&amp;utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">the report</a>, the Australian had rejected the deal after previously being reported to be looking for a contract above the minimum. This has since been said to be untrue, with multiple Knicks insiders claiming that the franchise never made <a href="https://x.com/IanBegley/status/1965189562172669960" rel="noopener">a formal offer</a>.</p><p>“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,” Ian Begley wrote on X.</p><p>The insider also claimed that Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet were instead the names the Knicks have considered for that final roster spot. Last season, Simmons averaged 5.0, 5.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists across 51 appearances for the Nets and the Clippers.</p><p>He was paid just north of a million as part of the deal he signed with the Clippers after Brooklyn had previously bought out the remainder of his contract that he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2025. Now, reports even claim that the 2016 NBA draft’s No. 1 pick is reportedly considering his NBA future.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-ben-simmons-agent-drops-him-retirement-rumors">Simmons was reported to have been dropped by his agent</a> Bernie Lee earlier this month. Brian Windhorst had noted that the 29-year-old may have to settle for a non-guaranteed contract.</p><p>While Simmons is undoubtedly no longer the same player, the Knicks are still in the market for a bench scorer. They have worked in the offseason to improve their depth already with the additions of Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson. However, Simmons is very unlikely to join that list, and looks likely to enter training camp without signing with an NBA team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: New York insiders deny report Ben Simmons was offered contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-did-new-york-offer-ben-simmons-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Did New York actually offer Ben Simmons a contract?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ben-Simmons_9be305.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Did New York actually offer Ben Simmons a contract?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-08T10:58:11-07:00">September 8th, 10:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-08T11:03:56-07:00">September 8th, 11:03am</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks made an unsuccessful run at a former All-Star this summer. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/monday-best-the-latest-nba-trade" rel="noopener">New York offered</a> Ben Simmons a one-year, minimum deal, which he declined.</p><p>“New York is limited to minimum contract offers as training camps draw near and Simmons entered the summer hopeful of securing a contract above the minimum after he split last season between the Nets and Clippers. Boston and New York, I’m told, expressed the most serious interest in Simmons this summer,” Stein wrote.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-ben-simmons-unsure-continuing-career-amid-knicks-interest">Simmons is an unrestricted free agent</a> after playing for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers last season. While the three-time All-Star has drawn interest from the Knicks and Celtics, he’s contemplating whether he wants to continue his NBA career, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-ben-simmons-agent-drops-him-retirement-rumors">Stein reported last week that Simmons’ agent</a>, Bernie Lee, had dropped him.</p><p>ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also reported that Simmons may have to settle for a non-guaranteed contract entering training camp.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ben Simmons may be forced to sign a non-guaranteed minimum contract, per <a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> </p><p>“At the end of the day Ben Simmons stock has been falling dramatically for years.”</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/MrBuckBuckNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrBuckBuckNBA</a> ) </p><p> <a href="https://t.co/u32qme8ktQ">pic.twitter.com/u32qme8ktQ</a></p><p>— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1963624234019647802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2>Ben Simmons passes on Knicks contract offer amid retirement rumors</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ben-Simmons1.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Simmons’ stock has plummeted over the last four seasons following his meltdown during the Philadelphia 76ers’ second-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season due to a back injury and mental health issues, the Aussie was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a package for James Harden.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-ben-simmons-signs-with-clippers-after-nets-buyout">Simmons looked like a shell of his All-Star self with Brooklyn</a> as his offensive passivity continued to trend in the wrong direction. He averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists while attempting 5.3 shots per game over 90 appearances with the Nets. The former No. 1 pick continued to struggle after agreeing to a buyout and joining the Clippers midway through last season.</p><p>Simmons averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game over 18 appearances with Los Angeles. He attempted a career-low 6.6 shots per 36 minutes while shooting a career-low 43.4 percent from the field despite attempting 86.8 percent of his shots from within 10 feet.</p><p>Despite this, New York seemed to think the 6-foot-10 ball-handler could prove valuable in a reserve role. The Knicks made several additions to their bench this offseason, signing Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson in free agency. They have three standard roster spots left to fill entering training camp.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Did New York actually offer Ben Simmons a contract?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-news-ben-simmons-agent-drops-him-retirement-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA news: Ben Simmons dropped by agent amid retirement rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ben-Simmons.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA news: Ben Simmons dropped by agent amid retirement rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T12:01:08-07:00">September 4th, 12:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T12:03:53-07:00">September 4th, 12:03pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ben Simmons will need to find new representation if he chooses to continue his NBA career. Bernie Lee informed the National Basketball Players Association that he has <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1963657686739751085" rel="noopener">formally removed himself</a> from the union ledger as Simmons’ agent, according to Marc Stein.</p><p>Simmons played for the Nets and Los Angeles Clippers last season during the final year of his max contract. He’s drawn interest from the New York Knicks and one other team this offseason <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-ben-simmons-unsure-continuing-career-amid-knicks-interest">but is also considering retirement</a>, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy.</p><p>Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul represented Simmons when he signed a five-year, $177 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the former No. 1 pick parted ways with Klutch in 2023 following his first season with the Brooklyn Nets. He signed with Lee shortly after.</p><h2>Ben Simmons dropped by agent with NBA future up in the air</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ben-Simmons-1.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-ben-simmons-signs-with-clippers-after-nets-buyout">Simmons has been unable to regain his All-Star form</a> following his collapse during the 76ers’ second-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks during the 2021 playoffs. The three-time All-Star sat out the entire 2021-22 season due to a back injury and mental health issues.</p><p>He continued to trend in the wrong direction in terms of offensive aggressiveness following his trade to the Nets. The Aussie averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists while attempting 5.3 shots per game over 90 appearances with Brooklyn. He agreed to a buyout midway through last season and signed with the Clippers.</p><p>However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-stephen-a-smith-drops-ben-simmons-stealing-money-take">Simmons continued to struggle</a> with Los Angeles, averaging 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game over 18 appearances. The 29-year-old attempted a career-low 6.5 shots per 36 minutes during his stint with the Clippers. He shot a career-low 43.4 percent from the field despite attempting 86.8 percent of his shots from within 10 feet.</p><p>While Simmons is contemplating his NBA future, it’s <a href="https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1963624234019647802" rel="noopener">not a foregone conclusion</a> that he would have a roster spot this coming season if he decides to continue playing.</p><p>“The reality is, he’s looking at the minimum contract… He might even be forced to take a contract where he’s not guaranteed,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “He would have to sort of earn his way onto the team through training camp and then maybe not know his status until midway through the season. If that’s the case, maybe he may want to wait a few months to see where a good fit would be… At the end of the day, Ben Simmons’ stock has been falling dramatically for years, and the fact that we’re into September and he doesn’t have a full-time, guaranteed job speaks to that.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA news: Ben Simmons dropped by agent amid retirement rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-pablo-torre-teases-interesting-jalen-brunson-revelations-kawhi-leonard-bombshell');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Pablo Torre teases ‘interesting’ Jalen Brunson revelations after Kawhi Leonard bombshell');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Knicks-All-Star-Jalen-Brunson-1.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Pablo Torre teases ‘interesting’ Jalen Brunson revelations after Kawhi Leonard bombshell</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T08:51:25-07:00">September 4th, 8:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T10:27:49-07:00">September 4th, 10:27am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After Pablo Torre uncovered a potential scandal involving Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard, could there be similar deals made across the NBA, including the New York Knicks and All-Star Jalen Brunson? The two-time All-Star’s name was mentioned in a recent interview when Torre reflected on the team-friendly deal he was given. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jalen-brunson-reveals-childhood-goal-still-chasing">Brunson and the Knicks are championship contenders</a>.</p><p>After Brunson agreed to a four-year, $105 million contract in 2022, the Knicks built around the star point guard, leading to a four-year, $156.5 million extension. However, as Torre <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWcasEELmqM&amp;t=588s" rel="noopener">points out</a> on the Dan Patrick Show, poaching Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks at that price came as a surprise at the time.</p><p>“How he arrived at the Knicks, this is where I will have to defer to the reporting I may or may not do on this. Certainly was interesting, right? Like, okay, that’s a pretty good deal for the Knicks,” Torre said. “Anyway, I don’t want to get ahead of myself in terms of.”</p><p>Is this a tease for another bombshell report similar to Kawhi Leonard’s?</p><p>“It’s a bit of a tease. I’m showing a little ankle with you. I always show a little bit more ankle than I should with you. By the way, subscribe, like, and subscribe,” Torre said. “But the thing about how often this happens is a really fascinating question because I would argue that it doesn’t happen to this scale and with this level of documentation, which is only enabled because of the collapse of this fraudulent company. The other stuff, look, historically, right?</p><p>“I was assuming because I’m maybe dumb, like you would give a stock tip or something, right? Like have someone else be multiple degrees away. You wouldn’t do it through a company that has its signage on your building, but that’s what our sources say is exactly the thing that happened,” Torre concluded.</p><h2><b>Jalen Brunson reveals childhood dream he’s chasing with Knicks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Knicks-All-Star-Jalen-Brunson-2.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Coming off of a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/new-york-knicks-2025-26-season-predictions">the Knicks’ expectations are high heading into 2025-26</a>, and Jalen Brunson is a big reason why. Heading into the upcoming season, Brunson revealed his <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960101548262072564" rel="noopener">childhood goal</a> that he still hasn’t achieved, per his Roommates Show podcast.</p><p>“All of my goals are basically team-based. That hasn’t changed. So, it’s about obviously winning — wanting to win a championship,” Brunson said. “That hasn’t changed. But I feel like success is subjective to what you want.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“The main goal is always to win a chip. I don’t think that’s ever really gonna change.”</p><p>Jalen Brunson speaks on if his goals have ever changed since he was a kid 🤔</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/Roommates__Show?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Roommates__Show</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/pTuf2ypVia">pic.twitter.com/pTuf2ypVia</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1960101548262072564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Knicks are hosting the 76ers in their preseason opener on October 2.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Pablo Torre teases ‘interesting’ Jalen Brunson revelations after Kawhi Leonard bombshell

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-ben-simmons-unsure-continuing-career-amid-knicks-interest');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Ben Simmons unsure about continuing career amid Knicks interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ben-Simmons-dribbles-the-ball-1.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Ben Simmons unsure about continuing career amid Knicks interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-03T18:19:16-07:00">September 3rd, 6:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-03T18:38:46-07:00">September 3rd, 6:38pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 29-year-old former No. 1 overall pick, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-jonathan-kuminga-standoff-warriors-final-stages">Ben Simmons, remains one of the most intriguing figures</a> on the 2025 NBA free-agent market as the season approaches. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-new-york-has-strong-interest-in-ben-simmons">Simmons has generated interest from the New York Knicks</a> and one other team, but the three-time All-Star is questioning whether <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/03/sports/knicks-one-of-two-teams-interested-in-ben-simmons-if-he-wants-to-keep-playing/" rel="noopener">he even wants to continue</a> his NBA career for the 2025-26 season, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported.</p><p>“Ben Simmons has generated interest from the Knicks and another team but is also questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA next season,” wrote Bondy.</p><p>Simmons’ time in the NBA has been far from straightforward. Drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 after a remarkable freshman season at LSU, Simmons won Rookie of the Year in 2018 and earned three consecutive All-Star selections from 2019 to 2021. During his peak years with Philadelphia, he averaged roughly 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game while shooting 56.6% from the field, and he also earned two All-Defensive Team selections and one All-NBA nod.</p><p>However, Simmons’ career has been hampered by injuries and inconsistent play. He missed the entire 2021-22 season following a holdout and back injury that eventually required surgery. The turning point came in the 2021 playoffs when he infamously passed up an open dunk in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks, an incident that damaged his confidence and relationship with the Sixers. He subsequently refused to play for Philadelphia again and requested a trade.</p><p>Traded to the Brooklyn Nets in September 2022 in exchange for James Harden, Simmons was unable to regain form. Over two seasons with Brooklyn, he appeared in just 57 games and underwent a second back procedure near the end of the 2023-24 season. He was bought out by Brooklyn during the 2024-25 season and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he appeared in 18 regular-season games, averaging career-low numbers of 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. In the playoffs, he played five games, averaging 8.4 minutes and 0.8 points on 33% shooting during the Clippers’ first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets.</p><p>In the past four seasons, Simmons has appeared in just 108 games, a far cry from the high expectations of his early days. Nevertheless, he offers a unique combination of height, playmaking, and defensive versatility. Standing 6-foot-10 with point guard instincts, Simmons remains relevant in discussions about team depth, particularly for a team like the Knicks, which is coming off their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000.</p><p>New York recently hired Mike Brown as head coach, and any potential role for Simmons would likely be limited to a reserve position, focusing on defensive and playmaking contributions rather than scoring.</p><p>Financially, Simmons has earned over $203 million during his career, with the largest portion, $123 million, coming during his time with the Nets, according to Spotrac.com. Should he decide to retire, Simmons’ career will be remembered as both a story of immense potential and unfulfilled promise, with three All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honor, two All-Defensive Team nods, and one All-NBA appearance, but an <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/10-nba-players-whose-potential-was-robbed-by-off-court-issues-ranked">inability to consistently stay healthy</a> or fully realize his early promise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Ben Simmons unsure about continuing career amid Knicks interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-ben-simmons-knicks-celtics');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Ben Simmons’ expected decision amid Knicks, Celtics interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Los-Angeles-Clippers-forward-Ben-Simmons.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Ben Simmons’ expected decision amid Knicks, Celtics interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-05T16:58:10-07:00">August 5th, 4:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-06T07:45:42-07:00">August 6th, 7:45am</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA veteran Ben Simmons is looking at what is next as an unrestricted free agent. At this point, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-new-york-has-strong-interest-in-ben-simmons" rel="noopener">New York Knicks are expressing interest in snatching him up</a>. </p><p>Among the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-suns-celtics-added-list-ben-simmons-suitors" rel="noopener">teams expressing interest in Simmons</a> are the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns. At this point, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/siegels-scoop-jonathan-kuminga-standoff-warriors-final-stages" rel="noopener">the Knicks and Celtics have the greater interest in Simmons</a>, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. </p><p>Reportedly, Simmons is expected to narrow his decision sometime soon. Furthermore, Siegel believes that Simmons will likely end up with the Knicks. </p><p>Simmons is 29 years old and still has productive years ahead of him. Although his skills have diminished due to injuries and a back problem, he has played for the Brooklyn Nets and the LA Clippers.</p><p>Last year, Simmons averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while playing in 51 total games. </p><p>Since 2016, Simmons has become a recognizable presence in the NBA after being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2018, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Simmons was an NBA All-Star in 2019, 2020, and 2021. </p><h2><b>Ben Simmons and his potential with the Knicks</b></h2><p>At first glance, the thought of Simmons joining the New York Knicks may seem perplexing to some, considering the vulnerabilities he brings. Nevertheless, he also possesses a particular skill set that could be beneficial to Coach Mike Brown.</p><p>After all, Brown emphasizes the importance of defense, which is where Simmons can step up and contribute. In addition, the Knicks are loaded with talent coming off an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk7K5BIUJuo" rel="noopener">appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals</a>. </p><p>They have a solid core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart. From a name standpoint, Simmons can fit right in. However, there may be limited opportunities for Simmons to get the ball due to being prone to injuries, as well as wanting to get the most out of these key players. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Ben Simmons’ expected decision amid Knicks, Celtics interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-giannis-antetokounmpo-top-new-yorks-star-hunting-list');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo at top of New York’s ‘star hunting’ list');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Antetokounmpo-vs-the-Knicks.jpg"><figcaption>Michael McLoone-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo at top of New York’s ‘star hunting’ list</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-05T11:04:18-07:00">August 5th, 11:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-05T11:26:13-07:00">August 5th, 11:26am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks haven’t made a ton of huge moves this offseason, but they did recently raise some eyebrows by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-4-word-mic-drop-150-million-contract-extension">signing Mikal Bridges</a> to a lucrative contract extension. Still, the prevailing feeling around the league seems to be that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/1-final-move-new-york-knicks-complete-2025-nba-offseason">Knicks are one piece away</a> from really competing for a championship.</p><p>Perhaps there is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6534635/2025/08/05/knicks-giannis-antetokounmpo-ben-simmons/?source=user_shared_article" rel="noopener">no bigger piece</a> in the NBA than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has seen his trade rumors reignited this past week in the wake of recent reporting from Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>Recently, Knicks insider James L. Edwards III of The Athletic broke down why New York could be a potential landing spot for the Greek Freak.</p><p>“It is my understanding that Leon Rose and company have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation in Milwaukee very closely, even before the offseason started,” reported Edwards III. “Many around the league believe the Knicks are interested in star hunting, and while that opportunity hasn’t popped up yet, I certainly believe it’s in the cards if the right situation presents itself.”</p><p>It would certainly require a lot for the Knicks to swing a trade for Antetokounmpo, featuring a package that would almost assuredly include Karl-Anthony Towns and a slew of draft compensation.</p><h2><b>Do the Knicks have enough?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brunson-Hart-and-Bridges.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Knicks made their deepest playoff run in a quarter century last year when they knocked off the Boston Celtics in the second round before ultimately bowing out to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals.</p><p>While this Knicks core hasn’t been together for very long, they aren’t exactly spring chickens, as Towns, Jalen Brunson, Bridges, and OG Anunoby are all age 28 or older, meaning New York probably isn’t getting much better than it is right now.</p><p>Concerns about the Knicks’ best two players–Towns and Brunson–both being clear negatives on the defensive side of the ball ultimately came to fruition in New York’s loss against the Pacers, and switching out Towns for Antetokounmpo would certainly alleviate that problem.</p><p>However, at the present moment, there’s no indication that a move is especially likely anytime soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo at top of New York’s ‘star hunting’ list

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-mikal-bridges-in-position-land-bonkers-contract-before-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Mikal Bridges in position to land bonkers contract before NY extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Mikal-Bridges.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Mikal Bridges in position to land bonkers contract before NY extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-31T20:33:48-07:00">July 31st, 8:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-31T20:33:48-07:00">July 31st, 8:33pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Mikal Bridges decided to secure a crucial <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mikal-bridges-150-million-contract-extension">contract extension with the New York Knicks</a> this offseason. However, he could’ve held out on an expiring contract and obtain a bigger deal in the process.</p><p>Bridges agreed to a four-year extension with the Knicks on Thursday, earning $150 million in that span. It will start when the 2026-27 campaign starts, as he assists New York in boosting the roster with future key additions.</p><p>However, <a href="https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/07/31/some-executives-thought-mikal-bridges-would-get-close-to-200-million-in-open-market/85468316007/" rel="noopener">$200 million could’ve been on the table</a>, according to The Athletic’s Fred Katz. League executives thought that the Knicks wing would’ve been more patient on the extension, waiting so he can land a bigger contract.</p><p>“Prior to this agreement, some league executives who spoke to The Athletic thought Bridges, given his history of never missing games, might play next season on an expiring contract and attempt to get closer to $200 million on the open market next summer,” Katz said.</p><h2><b>What’s next for Mikal Bridges, Knicks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/New-York-Knicks-forward-Mikal-Bridges.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If that seems to be the case, Mikal Bridges decided to pass on an extra $50 million for his contract to help the Knicks in the long term.</p><p>Bridges has been quite the healthy player throughout his NBA career, rarely missing games. He played every game for the Knicks last season, averaging 17.6 points, 3.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He shot 50% from the field, including 35.4% from beyond the arc, and 81.4% from the free-throw line.</p><p>Bridges played a huge role in New York securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 51-31 record. He had huge moments throughout playoffs, helping the Knicks reach the East Finals for the first time since 2000.</p><p>Despite losing to the Indiana Pacers in six games, the Knicks proved that they have the talent to make a Finals run. That is why they made upgrades to the bench, signing spark plug Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.</p><p>The East will be up for grabs after Boston and Indiana suffered severe injuries with Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton down for the count. However, New York should not take this opportunity for granted as they will have a lot of expectations next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Mikal Bridges in position to land bonkers contract before NY extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-new-york-has-strong-interest-in-ben-simmons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: New York has ‘strong interest’ in Ben Simmons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/New-York-has-strong-interest-in-Ben-Simmons.jpg"><figcaption>Credit: Robert Edwards</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: New York has ‘strong interest’ in Ben Simmons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-31T11:13:43-07:00">July 31st, 11:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-31T11:14:00-07:00">July 31st, 11:14am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chris.spiering.3" rel="facebook">Chris Spiering</a>Chris Spiering graduated from the University of San Diego with a Communication Studies Degree. He spent his final year as the Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris manages the betting team at ClutchPoints and contributes about the NFL, MLB, and NBA, but he follows most sports, including NCAA Basketball. Chris also covers San Diego State men's basketball for East Village Times.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Just a few seasons ago, nobody in the basketball community ever imagined Ben Simmons playing for a third Atlantic Division squad, but with how reports are looking, that could very well be the case.</p><p>Simmons began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers and was later traded to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden. Simmons ended last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, teaming up with the guy he was once traded for.</p><p>In a recent New York Knicks <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-mailbag-mike-brown-7-31-25" rel="noopener">Mailbag by Ian Begley</a>, he mentioned that the Knicks have “strong interest” in Simmons. The other team that does? The Boston Celtics. Begley does not mention that in his article, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-suns-celtics-added-list-ben-simmons-suitors">reports have shown that Boston is interested</a>.</p><p>Who would have imagined?</p><p>In responding to a question, here is what Begley said.</p><p>“Ben Simmons is certainly a candidate for the Knicks’ final roster spot. As of earlier this week, New York continued to show strong interest in signing Simmons as teams in on Simmons await his decision.”</p><p>“He’s garnered interest from several teams around the league. The Knicks also have maintained interest in Landry Shamet for that final roster spot.”</p><p>“New York’s team salary cannot exceed the second apron ($207.8 million). They have enough money to sign a rookie free agent (it seems to me that Kevin McCullar is the best candidate for that spot) and a veteran to a minimum deal.”</p><p>“They would need to make a trade in order to add a third player on a traditional NBA deal. All of New York’s two-way spots are open as well.”</p><p>The Knicks hired Mike Brown to be the new head coach. Expect a different play style for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/1-final-move-new-york-knicks-complete-2025-nba-offseason">New York Knicks</a>, who are still one of the top teams in the NBA. They were very close to making an NBA Finals appearance last season, but had the flaming-hot Indiana Pacers in the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: New York has ‘strong interest’ in Ben Simmons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-what-marc-stein-mavericks-warriors-knicks-lebron-james');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: What Marc Stein thinks about Mavericks, Warriors, Knicks LeBron James scenarios');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lakers-All-Star-LeBron-James1.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: What Marc Stein thinks about Mavericks, Warriors, Knicks LeBron James scenarios</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-27T06:49:24-07:00">July 27th, 6:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-28T15:00:48-07:00">July 28th, 3:00pm</time><address><a>Rishav Bhat</a>Rishav is a seasoned NBA and sports journalist and editor with over seven years of experience working for reputed organizations. A novelist first and foremost, he has written three fiction books. His high threshold of knowledge combined with his writing skills gives him the ability to write uniquely insightful pieces across basketball, soccer, cricket, lawn tennis, eSports, and a variety of other sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision">signing the $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers</a>, LeBron James’ future remains in balance. The franchise has made clear its intentions to move on from James and build around Luka Doncic, and a trade remains unlikely due to the kind of package the Lakers will demand, something that looks unlikely in the current market, considering LeBron is nearing 41.</p><p>In such a scenario, multiple teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and the New York Knicks, have <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/whats-next-for-lebron-james" rel="noopener">emerged as possible candidates</a>. Recently, Marc Stein of The Stein Line had his say on the matter, confirming that James and his family are well-settled in LA, especially as he is building a new home in Beverly Hills.</p><p>Hence, while LeBron has “genuine curiosity about playing in Dallas,” the Mavericks will only be interested if LeBron becomes a free agent and can be signed on a minimum deal. However, as things stand, Dallas will have to lose big assets to facilitate a trade, something they do not have an interest in.</p><p>“They have not tried to trade for him and do not want to try to trade for him if it means surrendering multiple rotation pillars for a player who turns 41 in December,” Stein said. Further, while the Lakers are willing to move on from LeBron, they still know their asset’s value.</p><h2><b>LeBron James trade looks unlikely for the Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/LeBron-James-shares-a-moment-with-Bronny-James.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>“Do you think the Lakers will just give up on this season and buy him out in August or September and set James up to walk to Dallas or Golden State, or New York? I don’t,” Stein said, claiming that any trade requires three parties to be satisfied.</p><p>This includes the team where LeBron ends up, the Lakers, who will be looking for a good-enough package, and the player himself, who is looking for his last hurrah. </p><p>“I believe that the Warriors and the Knicks would be right there with the Mavericks IFFFF James became available via buyout,” Stein said, claiming that he cannot imagine a buyout happening this offseason. </p><p>Stein reported that LeBron’s desire to play at Madison Square Garden means that counting the Knicks out is not possible. While the three teams mentioned here appear to be the frontrunners as things stand, this one appears to be a matter of traversing complications.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: What Marc Stein thinks about Mavericks, Warriors, Knicks LeBron James scenarios

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-lead-assistant-staying-dubs-amid-mike-brown-knicks-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lead assistant staying with Warriors amid Mike Brown, Knicks rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kerr-coaches.jpg"><figcaption>David Gonzales-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lead assistant staying with Warriors amid Mike Brown, Knicks rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-22T09:03:21-07:00">July 22nd, 9:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-22T15:04:04-07:00">July 22nd, 3:04pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-rumors-jonathan-kuminga-intel-suggests-new-deal-come-while">Golden State Warriors haven’t had</a> as busy an offseason as some fans were probably hoping for. Golden State mostly has the same roster intact that went to the second round of the playoffs and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-golden-state-blame-timberwolves-stephen-curry">lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves</a> a season ago, but the big trade or splashy free-agency signing that some were hoping for hasn’t materialized yet.</p><p>Recently, there has been some chatter about Warriors assistant coach Terry Stotts and his rumored ties to New York Knicks newly minted head coach Mike Brown; however, recently, the Dubs got <a href="https://x.com/IanBegley/status/1947684446989087005" rel="noopener">some good news</a> regarding Stotts’ future with the team.</p><p>“You can take GSW’s Terry Stotts off of any speculative list of candidates for Mike Brown’s coaching staff. Per league sources familiar with the matter, Stotts doesn’t plan on going anywhere, will be back with the Warriors in 2025-26,” reported Ian Begley of SNY on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Stotts was once the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and faced off against the Warriors on multiple occasions during the playoffs during the mid-2010s.</p><h2><b>Where do the Warriors go now?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jonathan-Kuminga.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>With Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler on the roster, the Warriors are still likely to be a competitive team in 2025-26.</p><p>At the current juncture, the biggest question surrounding the Warriors this offseason is what they will do about Jonathan Kuminga, who at times fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season but who remains a talented wing who flashed his skill set during Curry’s injury absence against the Minnesota Timberwolves this spring.</p><p>If Kuminga sticks around and continues to improve alongside fellow younger players like Brandin Podziemski and Quentin Post, then it’s possible that development alone could be enough to allow the Warriors to level up from where they left off in 2024-25.</p><p>Having veteran coaches like Kerr and Stotts around will certainly help the young talent in their maturation process.</p><p>Still, when looking at the landscape of the Western Conference, it wouldn’t appear that the Warriors are on the level of teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who recently won the NBA championship, or the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets, both of whom swung big trades this offseason.</p><p>Golden State’s schedule will be announced in August.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lead assistant staying with Warriors amid Mike Brown, Knicks rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celebrity/suni-lee-addresses-og-anunoby-dating-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suni Lee addresses OG Anunoby dating rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Suni-Lee-addresses-OG-Anunoby-dating-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Suni Lee addresses OG Anunoby dating rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-20T07:52:04-07:00">July 20th, 7:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-20T07:52:04-07:00">July 20th, 7:52am</time><address><a>Autumn Hawkins</a>Autumn Hawkins is an Associate Entertainment Editor at ClutchPoints. She enjoys writing about music, lifestyle, film, and television. When she's not writing, she is trying the newest makeup trend, reading a romance novel, or planning her next trip. She is also a proud member of the BeyHive.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Celebrity</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Suni Lee has been a frequent supporter of the New York Knicks, but is setting the record straight on whether it’s love for the game or a player.</p><p>As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/jordyn-woods-suni-lee-courtside-game-1-knicks-pacers-eastern-conference-finals">Lee was supporting the Knicks </a>during their playoff run, — their first since 2000 — eagle-eyed fans noticed that the six-time Olympic gold medalist was chatting with OG Anunoby on the sidelines. The interaction had fans interested in whether their relationship was <a href="https://www.themirror.com/sport/basketball/sunisa-lee-og-anunoby-relationship-1272487.amp" rel="noopener">purely platonic or romantic.</a></p><p>“Honestly, it just started off as a joke, and I feel like social media kind of just, like, took it further than that,” Lee told Mirror U.S. Sports. “But yeah, we’re just friends, and I’m really good friends with a bunch of the guys on the Knicks team, like [Karl-Anthony Towns], and then also I’m really close to [Towns’ partner Jordyn Woods] as well, so it’s cool to see them doing their thing. Honestly, I just enjoy watching basketball, which is why I went to most of the games.”</p><p>Lee clarified the nature of her and Anunoby’s relationship again: “There’s nothing there. We’re just friends. I fully support all of them, and I support the Knicks.”</p><p>The Minnesota native shared how she met influencer Jordyn Woods and Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns. The NBA star and Woods have been dating for five years.</p><p>“I met Jordyn and KAT when I was in Minnesota, and when they were in Minnesota as well,” Lee said. “And then when I moved to New York, he got traded, so it was really nice to see some familiar faces in New York and just keep that friendship.”</p><p>Anunoby is not the only NBA star Lee has been linked to despite having no confirmation. Last year, rumors have spread that she was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/olympics-news-kevin-durant-suni-lee-photo-follows-devin-bookers-goes-viral" rel="noopener">in a relationship with Houston Rockets’ Kevin Durant,</a> which were never confirmed. Last year, when Lee was competing in the Olympics, a rumor spread that<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/olympics-news-devin-booker-suni-lee-paris-photo-sparks-wild-reactions" rel="noopener"> she and Devin Booker were in a relationship</a> when a photo went viral of her and the Phoenix Suns star.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Devin Booker with Team USA Gymnast Suni Lee ⭐️</p><p>Lee earned a bronze medal in uneven bars 🥉</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/DevinBook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DevinBook</a>) <a href="https://t.co/cyMdYoP8Vf">pic.twitter.com/cyMdYoP8Vf</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1820615235427877244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Durant is seemingly single and Booker started romance rumors with Molly Murphy after the two were spotted at Stagecoach back in April. They have not confirmed their romance.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Devin Booker was seen at Stagecoach with Molly Murphy in California recently. 👀🔥 <a href="https://t.co/nhcUdTO87n">pic.twitter.com/nhcUdTO87n</a></p><p>— CantGuardBook (@CGBBURNER) <a href="https://twitter.com/CGBBURNER/status/1916886778243375377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As for Lee, she is dating Jaylin Smith, a University of Southern California cornerback. The couple went Instagram official in 2021 but have kept their relationship private since then.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suni Lee addresses OG Anunoby dating rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-cavs-mavericks-knicks-hoping-lebron-james-buyout');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Cavs, Mavericks, Knicks among teams hoping for LeBron James buyout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Lakers-news-Chris-Broussard-makes-favorites-in-the-West-declaration-but-there-s-a-catch.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Cavs, Mavericks, Knicks among teams hoping for LeBron James buyout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-16T16:51:22-07:00">July 16th, 4:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-16T16:51:22-07:00">July 16th, 4:51pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The speculation surrounding <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/sources-lebron-james-retirement-plan-offseason-lakers-rumors">LeBron James’ future has reached a fever pitch</a> during the 2025 NBA Summer League, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks among the teams reportedly monitoring the situation in hopes of a potential buyout from the Los Angeles Lakers according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints.</p><p>James, now 40 years old, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision">recently exercised his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season</a>, committing to what will be his eighth consecutive season with the Lakers, the longest stint of his career with a single franchise. Despite this commitment, his relationship with the Lakers appears strained.</p><p>Tensions have grown in recent weeks, with James reportedly frustrated over the team’s lack of direction. Lakers officials, meanwhile, are reportedly fatigued by what they perceive as passive-aggressive behavior from the four-time champion.</p><p>Reports indicate that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/nba-rumors-lebron-james-lakers-never-discussed-trade-buyout">there have been no discussions between James and the Lakers about a trade or buyout</a>. Sources close to both parties have consistently maintained that James is expected to be with the Lakers for training camp and the upcoming season.</p><p>Klutch Sports, which represents James, has fielded interest from at least four NBA teams about potential trade scenarios. However, none have resulted in substantive negotiations, primarily due to the complexities of James’ massive contract and the lack of mutual benefit in potential trade proposals.</p><p>Still, teams are watching closely. The Cavaliers, where James won a championship in 2016, remain a sentimental and logistical candidate. James was recently seen at the Cavs’ practice facility, fueling speculation of a possible return.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks present an intriguing option with a roster that includes former teammates Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, as well as Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, and No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg.</p><p>However, Dallas has made it clear it is unwilling to gut its roster to absorb James’ $52.6 million salary. As a second-apron hard-capped team, options are limited. Trading Davis is theoretically possible, given his $54.1 million salary, but would be a bizarre reversal of the blockbuster deal that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February.</p><p>Complicating any potential move is LeBron James’ no-trade clause, which grants him veto power over any deal. Without his explicit request for a buyout, something he has not made, the Lakers are unlikely to entertain the idea.</p><p>Furthermore, league rules prevent teams above the first apron from signing buyout players during the season, meaning time is running out for contenders like the Cavaliers, Knicks, and the Mavericks to remain in play.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Cavs, Mavericks, Knicks among teams hoping for LeBron James buyout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-marcus-smart-named-potential-target-fill-out-roster');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Marcus Smart named as potential target to fill out roster');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Wizards-guard-Marcus-Smart.jpg"><figcaption>Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Marcus Smart named as potential target to fill out roster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-10T12:54:37-07:00">July 10th, 12:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-10T12:54:37-07:00">July 10th, 12:54pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/who-is-knicks-newest-free-agent-signing-guerschon-yabusele">Knicks signed free agent Guerschon Yabusele this offseason</a>, which was one of their two signings this summer, including Jordan Clarkson, but they could have eyes for Washington Wizards veteran Marcus Smart. As the Knicks continue to build what they hope to be a title-contending team in 2025-26, adding another stifling defender to complement Mikal Bridges is ideal for New York.</p><p>Bridges finished second to Smart for Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. The two lockdown defenders would undoubtedly be an intriguing defensive duo. The Knicks <a href="https://x.com/NBA_NewYork/status/1943371392914706633" rel="noopener">will be keeping track</a> with Smart’s situation with the Wizards, per New York Basketball’s X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“Per a source, the Knicks are monitoring the situation with Marcus Smart,” NYB reported.</p><p>After reaching the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics in 2022, Smart was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the Kristaps Porzingis three-team swap. While injuries have plagued the previous two seasons, including an injured right index finger and a left foot sprain, he played in a combined 39 games with the Grizzlies before he was dealt to the Wizards at last year’s trade deadline.</p><p>Smart averaged 9.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in 15 games for the Wizards in 2024-25.</p><h2><b>Mike Brown hints at Knicks building around Jalen Brunson</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Knicks-head-coach-Mike-Brown_43deba.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Knicks head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-hints-at-winning-formula-around-jalen-brunson">Mike Brown hints at building around Jalen Brunson</a>, trading for someone like Marcus Smart to support Brunson on defense would make life easier for the All-Star starting guard. The Knicks’ new coach addressed his approach for 2025-26, which includes pushing the tempo in a fluid offense built for Brunson to thrive in.</p><p>Brown <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKH7ie0Csp8" rel="noopener">revealed his methods</a> during the Knicks’ introduction press conference after naming him head coach.</p><p>“Everyone knows I like to play fast,” Brown said in the press conference. “To have a guy like Jalen out there gives you the versatility to play all different kinds of ways, which is what it’s gonna take to win games.”</p><p>Brown led the Knicks to 48 and 46-win seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively, before he was fired mid-season last year. After eliminating the champion Celtics, the Knicks advanced beyond the second round for the first time in 25 years. The Knicks will look to build off reaching the Eastern Conference Finals.</p><p>Following the Pacers’ loss of Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury that will sideline him for the entire 2025-26 season, the Knicks’ front office views next season as a prime opportunity to advance to the NBA Finals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Marcus Smart named as potential target to fill out roster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-suns-knicks-want-darvin-ham-but-theres-a-bucks-problem');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Suns, Knicks want Darvin Ham, but there’s a Bucks problem');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Darvin-Ham-on-March-22-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Suns, Knicks want Darvin Ham, but there’s a Bucks problem</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-06T09:39:36-07:00">July 6th, 9:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-06T09:39:36-07:00">July 6th, 9:39am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-next-head-coach-tom-thibodeau-firing"> New York Knicks found their new head coach in Mike Brown</a>, the goal now is to build a staff ahead of next season after the firing of Tom Thibodeau. While it remains to be seen <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-hire-means-rick-brunson-other-new-york-assistants">what Knicks assistant coaches remain around Brown</a>, the same question is around the Phoenix Suns as Jordan Ott looks to build a staff with both teams having a reported interest in Darvin Ham.</p><p>The former Los Angeles Lakers head coach is currently with the Milwaukee Bucks under Doc Rivers and is labeled as the top assistant coach for the team. While Phoenix and New York have interest in Ham, according to The Stein Line, Milwaukee is <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/sunday-best-lots-of-fresh-nba-free?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=167647434&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">“determined to keep him”</a> unless there was a head coaching gig available, which wouldn’t be the case with the other two teams.</p><p>“Phoenix and now New York — after the hiring of Mike Brown as the Knicks’ new head coach — have expressed interest in trying to hire Darvin Ham away from the Bucks, The Stein Line has learned,” Marc Stein wrote.</p><p>“Yet those would be considered lateral moves for Ham, who is Milwaukee’s top assistant to Doc Rivers,” Stein continued. “I’m told the Bucks love having Ham back in their midst after his two-season stint as the Lakers’ head coach and are determined to keep him in Brewtown unless he secures another head coaching opportunity elsewhere.”</p><p>As mentioned before, Ham was the head coach of the Lakers from 2022 to 2024, as he was fired after his last season when the team ultimately hired former player JJ Redick.</p><h2><b>If not Darvin Ham, Knicks and Suns are looking for a top assistant coach</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Darvin-Ham-makes-a-reaction-from-the-sidelines.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-top-assistant-coach-eyed-ny-mike-brown-staff">Knicks still looking for a top assistant coach</a>, they are not the only team looking for one as besides Brown, Ott in Phoenix, and even Memphis Grizzlies’ Tuomas Iisalo are “all in the market.” Another candidate that Stein mentions for the Knicks is Toronto Raptors assistant coach Phil Handy, as Brown has familiarity with him since they were both on the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Lakers at one point.</p><p>“Brown, new Suns head coach Jordan Ott, and Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo, who secured the full-time post in Memphis after his nine-game (plus playoffs) interim stint last season, are all in the market for a No. 1 assistant,” Stein wrote.</p><p>“As I reported Friday, New York is expected to pursue former Lakers, Cavaliers, and Raptors assistant coach Phil Handy for a spot on Brown’s staff after they worked together with both the Cavaliers and Lakers,” Stein continued. “Handy is also a candidate to join Jason Kidd’s staff in Dallas after the departure of God Shammgod to Orlando.”</p><p>At any rate, it remains to be seen what happens with Ham, though it seems likely that he will stay with the Bucks for the foreseeable future. As for the Knicks, they will continue to further improve after finishing third in the East, though they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Suns, Knicks want Darvin Ham, but there’s a Bucks problem

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-new-york-checks-in-with-ben-simmons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: New York ‘checks in’ with Ben Simmons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Ben-Simmons-25-brings-the-ball-up-court-against-the-Brooklyn-Nets.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: New York ‘checks in’ with Ben Simmons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-02T10:29:08-07:00">July 2nd, 10:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-02T10:29:08-07:00">July 2nd, 10:29am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks have reportedly <a href="https://x.com/sny_knicks/status/1940444994185084992" rel="noopener">expressed preliminary interest</a> in free agent forward Ben Simmons as they look to reshape their roster ahead of the 2025–26 season. According to Ian Begley of SNY, the team has “checked in” on Simmons following a turbulent 2024–25 campaign that saw the former All-Star split time between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers.</p><p>Simmons, 28, is coming off his seventh NBA season. He appeared in 51 total games between the Nets and Clippers after being bought out by Brooklyn midseason. With both teams, Simmons served primarily as a reserve and rotational piece, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 52 percent from the field across 22 minutes per contest.</p><p>His role diminished further after joining the Clippers, where he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists over 18 games. He logged just 16.4 minutes per night and shot 43.4 percent from the field. In the postseason, Simmons was used sparingly in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-fans-shambles-ugly-end-to-game-7-vs-nuggets">Clippers’ first-round series loss to the Denver Nuggets</a>. He played in five of the seven games and averaged just 8.4 minutes and 1.4 rebounds per game.</p><h2><b>Knicks eye Ben Simmons as Jordan Clarkson signing nears and coaching search intensifies</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ben-Simmons-looks-on-1.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Once viewed as a franchise cornerstone and elite two-way talent, Simmons’ career has been derailed in recent years by injuries, inconsistent performances, and limited offensive production. However, his size, playmaking ability, and defensive potential may still appeal to a Knicks team seeking versatility and depth at multiple positions.</p><p>New York’s check-in on Simmons comes on the heels of other reported moves. Earlier this week, sources confirmed that former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jalen-brunson-josh-hart-jordan-clarkson-bold-label-new-york-deal">Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson intends to sign with the Knicks</a> following his own contract buyout. Clarkson’s addition would provide scoring and veteran experience to a backcourt led by Jalen Brunson.</p><p>The Knicks are also navigating a coaching transition after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news-derrick-rose-breaks-silence-on-knicks-firing-tom-thibodeau">parting ways with Tom Thibodeau in May</a>. The franchise reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 before being eliminated in six games by the Indiana Pacers. With expectations rising, the organization is actively searching for its next head coach.</p><p>Recent reports have identified former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-intriguing-mike-brown-scenario-intensifying">Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown as a leading candidate for the position</a>. Brown, known for his defensive schemes and playoff experience, is emerging as the frontrunner as the Knicks plan for the next phase of their competitive window.</p><p>As front office decisions unfold, New York’s reported inquiry into Simmons signals a willingness to explore value-based additions, particularly those with upside. While no deal appears imminent, the Knicks’ interest in Simmons adds another layer to an active offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: New York ‘checks in’ with Ben Simmons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jalen-brunsons-1-word-response-to-rumor-about-his-father-staying-with-new-york');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks’ Jalen Brunson has 1-word response to rumor about his father staying with New York');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Jalen-Brunsons-1-word-response-to-rumor-about-his-father-staying-with-New-York.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks’ Jalen Brunson has 1-word response to rumor about his father staying with New York</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T17:25:42-07:00">July 1st, 5:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T17:25:42-07:00">July 1st, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Miguel La Torre</a>Miguel La Torre is a lifelong sports junkie and seasoned sports writer whose passion for the game has been with him since childhood. A former soccer player turned dedicated runner, he's now chasing his dream of completing all seven major world marathons. Miguel is also a proud Utah Jazz believer, a passionate Manchester United and Real Madrid supporter, and loyal Novak Djokovic fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson saw the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-bill-simmons-questions-rick-brunson-role-in-next-knicks-coaching-staff">rumors swirling around social media about his father, Rick</a>, and he decided not to let them pass without a little humor. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, it was reported that the older Brunson <a href="https://x.com/NBA_NewYork/status/1940191114264551779" rel="noopener">would remain</a> on the Knicks’ coaching staff along with other assistants from Tom Thibodeau’s tenure.</p><p>Jalen fired off a <a href="https://x.com/jalenbrunson1/status/1940192014513185258" rel="noopener">sarcastic one-word retweet</a>. “WHAT?!” the 28-year-old said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WHAT?! <a href="https://t.co/TWzg9EiE1H">https://t.co/TWzg9EiE1H</a></p><p>— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) <a href="https://twitter.com/jalenbrunson1/status/1940192014513185258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>That single word felt playful and teasing, the kind of reaction that slices through speculation before it grows legs. For all the stories that surface every summer about who stays, who leaves, and who might be traded, this response showed Jalen’s personality. He refused to let everyone else shape the story around his family.</p><p>Rick Brunson joined the Knicks as an assistant in 2022, back when Thibodeau still commanded the bench with his defense-first style and short rotations. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/chicago-bulls/bulls-news-derrick-rose-breaks-silence-on-knicks-firing-tom-thibodeau">With Thibodeau out of the picture</a>, questions naturally popped up about whether his staff would remain intact or scatter to new jobs. The elder Brunson has strong ties to several players and to franchise president Leon Rose, but the Knicks have not confirmed any official decisions.</p><p>While Jalen’s tweet kept things light, the team has worked aggressively behind the scenes to reshape the roster and set up a coaching transition. New York finally decided it had reached the ceiling with Thibodeau’s approach. His relentless focus on defense and tendency to lean heavily on starters brought success, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, but leadership wanted a more modern, flexible style.</p><p>Ownership and the front office quickly lined up a list of coaching candidates. Mike Brown, who helped stabilize the Kings, completed a second interview with New York executives and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-intriguing-mike-brown-scenario-intensifying">appears to hold an edge in the search</a>. Taylor Jenkins <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-taylor-jenkins-mike-brown-2nd-round-interviews">also drew serious interest</a>. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-interviews-timberwolves-coach-not-chris-finch">Other names floated around</a> include Micah Nori and James Borrego, both respected for their player development chops. The Knicks have not made a final call, but people close to the team expect a hire before the end of July.</p><p>While the coaching process unfolded, New York moved with purpose in free agency. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jordan-clarkson-sign-contract-new-york-jazz-buyout">Knicks landed Jordan Clarkson</a> after the Jazz agreed to a buyout, bringing in a proven scorer who can spark the second unit. Clarkson averaged double digits in every season since 2015, and his ability to create shots without help should ease the load on Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.</p><p>The Knicks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-guerschon-yabusele-76ers-12-million-free-agency-contract">also signed Guerschon Yabusele</a> to a two-year deal worth around $12 million. Yabusele offers size, shooting, and a dose of versatility in the frontcourt. He spent several strong seasons in Europe and has the tools to carve out minutes behind Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns.</p><p>New York <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-new-york-make-2-contract-decisions-including-on-p-j-tucker">made smaller moves to tweak the depth chart</a>. The team declined P.J. Tucker’s option to free up space and exercised Ariel Hukporti’s team option. In the draft, the Knicks <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/new-york-knicks-2025-nba-draft-grade-pick-51">selected Mohamed Diawara</a>, a rangy big man from France who will likely spend more time developing before he contributes.</p><p>These moves paint a clear picture of Rose’s strategy. He wants to keep the core intact while plugging specific gaps that cost the team momentum late in games. Adding Clarkson creates instant offense, and Yabusele stretches the floor. Both signings signal a shift away from the grind-it-out style that defined Thibodeau’s tenure.</p><p>Inside the locker room, players have welcomed the chance to start fresh. Younger players <a href="https://rollingout.com/2025/06/30/what-went-wrong-between-knicks-and-coach/" rel="noopener">reportedly grew frustrated</a> with a rigid system that left little room for improvisation. Brunson has emerged as the leader, setting the tone both on and off the court. His quick retort about his father showed that he plans to stay engaged in every conversation about the team’s future.</p><p>Speculation will only grow louder as the Knicks inch closer to naming a head coach. If Mike Brown gets the job, expect a structured but more adaptable system with an emphasis on ball movement. If the front office goes with Taylor Jenkins, New York could push the tempo and modernize the offense further. Either choice will mark a decisive break from the past.</p><p>For now, Brunson’s single word lingers in the minds of fans and reporters. It was a reminder that not every rumor deserves solemn analysis. Sometimes, the best response is a bit of well-timed sarcasm. In a summer defined by changes on the bench and additions to the roster, Brunson kept the moment light while the Knicks kept moving forward.</p><p>This offseason has proven that New York refuses to stand still. The front office has shown urgency, the players have embraced a new vision, and the next coach will inherit a team ready to compete. One playful tweet summed it all up. The Knicks are building something bigger, and they are not afraid to let their personality shine along the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks’ Jalen Brunson has 1-word response to rumor about his father staying with New York

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-impressive-dawn-staley-interview-revelation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: ‘Impressive’ Dawn Staley interview revelation comes to light');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Dawn-Staley-2.jpg"><figcaption>Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: ‘Impressive’ Dawn Staley interview revelation comes to light</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T08:02:29-07:00">July 1st, 8:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T08:02:29-07:00">July 1st, 8:02am</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/knicks-rumors-intriguing-mike-brown-scenario-intensifying">New York Knicks are still searching for their next head coach</a> after firing Tom Thibodeau following an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, and they are checking all the boxes. New York has undergone an extensive search to figure out who their next head coach will be, interviewing multiple quality candidates.</p><p>One of those candidates was current South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, who has established herself as one of the best coaches in college basketball history. Unsurprisingly, her interview with the Knicks <a href="https://x.com/TheAthletic/status/1940052183862387089" rel="noopener">went very well</a>, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.</p><p>“Dawn Staley impressed in her conversation with the Knicks about their head coaching vacancy, sources tell @JLEdwardsIII,” The Athletic posted on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Despite the good interview, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/knicks-rumors-new-york-interested-dawn-staley-head-coaching-job">Knicks still seem unlikely to poach Staley</a> from the biggest current powerhouse in women’s college basketball. Instead, they are continuing to go after former NBA coaches like Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins.</p><p>“As New York continues to search after Tom Thibodeau’s firing, the South Carolina head coach was one of the candidates Knicks brass reached out to,” The Athletic wrote. “Despite Staley impressing during the conversation, she is currently not considered a finalist for the position in a race that includes Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins and others.”</p><p>Brown and Jenkins have proven themselves at the NBA level, but neither has the overall coaching resume in basketball that Staley does. She was a six-time WNBA All-Star as a player before taking over the women’s college game with the Gamecocks.</p><p>As the coach at South Carolina since 2008, Staley has turned the Gamecocks into one of the sport’s iconic dynasties. During her time there, she has won three national titles and reached the Final Four seven times.</p><p>Thankfully for South Carolina fans, it looks like they don’t have much to worry about when it comes to Staley potentially leaving for the Knicks. Despite her predictably impressive interview skills and great qualifications for the job, the likely outcome still is that she will be in Columbia next season and beyond.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: ‘Impressive’ Dawn Staley interview revelation comes to light

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-intriguing-mike-brown-scenario-intensifying');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Intriguing Mike Brown scenario ‘intensifies’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Intriguing-Knicks-Mike-Brown-scenario-intensifying.jpg"><figcaption>© John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Intriguing Mike Brown scenario ‘intensifies’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T07:23:16-07:00">July 1st, 7:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T07:23:16-07:00">July 1st, 7:23am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks’ search for a new head coach has not gone according to plan, but they are now seemingly closing in on adding not just one former NBA head coach but two.</p><p>After swinging and missing on luring a current head coach to New York — the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=knicks+denied+clutchpoints&amp;rlz=1C1SJWC_enUS1099US1099&amp;oq=knicks+denied+clutchpoints&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORigATIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRiPAtIBCDQ3MzhqMGo0qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">Knicks were denied chances to interview</a> the likes of Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and Chris Finch — they have reportedly begun to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-the-top-ny-coaching-target-emerging-in-place-of-jason-kidd">settle in on Mike Brown</a>, most recently the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, as well as New Orleans Pelicans associate <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-ny-granted-permission-interview-ex-hornets-head-coach-james-borrego">head coach James Borrego</a> as part of the staff.</p><p>“The Knicks’ interest in hiring Mike Brown as their new coach has indeed intensified, league sources say,” <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1940036717957861519" rel="noopener">according to</a> NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>“One scenario that has emerged: New York installing James Borrego as top assistant if [Brown] is the ultimate choice.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-new-york-tossing-around-coach-idea-2-impressive-interviews">Hiring Borrego</a> would seemingly indicate that the Knicks want some insurance of a former head coach on staff and potentially able to step up if Brown does not work out in New York. But it could also just be a smart move if Brown and Borrego can effectively work together while utilizing their respective experiences.</p><p>If hired, this would be the fifth NBA head coaching job for Brown. In 2005, he was hired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming LeBron James’ second NBA head coach in the process. After five years, one of which resulted in an NBA Finals appearance, Brown went 272-138 before being fired by Cleveland.</p><p>A year later, he became the head coach of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. He coached just 71 games in L.A.; the Lakers, who had gone 41-25 under Brown in 2011-12, fired him after starting the 2012-13 season 1-4. Brown then returned to the Cavaliers, but he lasted just a single season back in Cleveland, going 33-49 during the 2013-14 season.</p><p>Following a successful and much lauded stint as an assistant on Steve Kerr’s Golden State Warriors staff, Brown earned another chance at being a head coach when he was hired by the Sacramento Kings in 2022. In his first season in Sacramento, Brown led the Kings to a 48-34 record and the first playoff appearance in 17 years, ending the longest NBA postseason drought of all time. For his work, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-mike-brown-wins-coach-of-the-year-award-after-snapping-16-year-playoff-drought">Brown earned the second NBA Coach of the Year Award</a> of his career (the first coming in 2009).</p><p>The Kings lost in Game 7 of the first round to Kerr and the Warriors that year and lost in the Play-In the following season after going 46-36. This past season, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-news-mike-brown-fired-amid-disappointing-season">Kings decided to fire Brown</a> amid a 13-18 start.</p><p>Borrego first became a head coach on an interim basis in 2015 when he took over the Orlando Magic following the dismissal of Jacques Vaughn. He earned his first head coaching job in earnest in 2018 with the Charlotte Hornets, with whom he went 148-183. His final season, 2021-22, was his most successful, with the team winning 43 games and reaching the Play-In.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Knicks rumors: Intriguing Mike Brown scenario ‘intensifies’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-why-russell-westbrook-ny-pairing-is-unlikely-in-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Knicks rumors: Why Russell Westbrook-NY pairing is unlikely in free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Nuggets-Russell-Westbrook-vs.-Knicks-Jalen-Brunson.jpg"><figcaption>© Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Knicks rumors: Why Russell Westbrook-NY pairing is unlikely in free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-07-01T02:31:20-07:00">July 1st, 2:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-07-01T02:31:20-07:00">July 1st, 2:31am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This past season, the New York Knicks’ number one problem was their lack of depth. In the end, it came back to bite them as they fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals to a much deeper team in the Indiana Pacers. Thus, it’s no surprise to see the Knicks look to rectify this problem of theirs, even addressing their need for a reliable bench guard by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-jordan-clarkson-sign-contract-new-york-jazz-buyout">signing Jordan Clarkson once he clears waivers</a>.</p><p>Even with that eventual signing, the Knicks are far from done making moves in this year’s free agency period. In fact, they’ve been linked to another <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-rumors-russell-westbrook-linked-ny-free-agency">veteran point guard in Russell Westbrook</a>, who could end up being New York’s primary backup point guard for Jalen Brunson, replacing both Cameron Payne and Delon Wright.</p><p>Alas, one Knicks insider, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, reported that <a href="https://x.com/SbondyNBA/status/1939871944918155529" rel="noopener">it’s unlikely</a> for New York to sign the former league MVP due to two major reasons.</p><p>“From what I’m hearing, I wouldn’t expect the Knicks to sign Russell Westbrook. There’s no clear path to sustained playing time for him on this roster and he’s not the type to sit comfortably on the bench,” Bondy wrote on his official account on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>With the signing of Clarkson, it appears as though the Knicks’ guard rotation is taking shape, with Miles McBride and Clarkson being more than able to fill the role of backup to Brunson.</p><p>Signing Westbrook gives the team another dynamic (he is a rim-attacker, playmaker, and a hustle/defensive kind of guy, while McBride is more of a shooter and Clarkson is more of a bucket-getter from the perimeter), but it doesn’t seem as though the Knicks will be allocating the limited resources they have left to creating a backcourt logjam.</p><h2><b>Assessing Knicks’ needs heading into Day 2 of free agency</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brunson-Hart-and-Bridges.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Knicks are in need of additional depth on the wing and on the frontcourt, although their resources are so limited that they do not have much to offer to free agents. They already are above the first apron without making any moves yet, and they only have 11 players on the roster once Clarkson signs.</p><p>Provided that the Knicks sign Clarkson on a veteran minimum, they should still have the taxpayer midlevel exception to work with. Perhaps that would be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-warriors-celtics-among-several-al-horford-suitors-in-free-agency">good enough to sign Al Horford</a> amid interest from other contending teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. Other potential targets for the Knicks could be Larry Nance Jr. or Duncan Robinson.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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New York
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