Ben Simmons had one concrete NBA offer on the table this summer. The New York Knicks needed a backup point guard, had the money to spend, and were willing to take a chance on the former All-Star. His response? Complete disinterest. That decision cost him more than just a roster spot – it cost him his agent, who dropped him out of sheer frustration.

Why Did Ben Simmons Turn Down His Only NBA Offer?

The Knicks have one more spot left on their roster before they ready themselves for a run at the Eastern Conference. The team was heavily linked with free agent Simmons, who played 18 games for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2024-25 season after being bought out by the Brooklyn Nets.

However, a return to New York will not be on his agenda. Simmons seemingly has no interest in playing on Broadway or wearing the blue and orange. That decision hasn’t gone down well with his agent, Bernie Lee, who dropped Simmons as a client out of frustration since the Knicks represented his only offer. The options now appear limited if the player wishes to remain in the NBA for the 2025-26 season.

The Knicks have been scouring free agency for a quality guard on the veteran’s minimum to round out their bench and lead their second unit. Armed with around $3 million veterans’ minimum to spend, according to Knicks insider Stefan Bondy, names such as Malcolm Brogdon have been sounded out as their backup point guard. Landry Shamet also wants to return to the Knicks and has been working out in New York. Team representatives have also checked in on Malik Beasley, who was cleared from a federal gambling probe in August 2025.

One name to remove from that list of options is Simmons. This represents yet another odd twist in the remarkable career drop-off for the former All-Star. He’s gone from being on the precipice of NBA stardom to having his entire NBA future in doubt.

Ben Simmons’ agent had enough and dropped him after Simmons showed little to no interest in talks with the Knicks 😳, per @SbondyNBA

“Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, recently dropped him as a client, according to Stein. A source said that decision occurred after the point guard… pic.twitter.com/0x1s2c1EVX
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 9, 2025

What Does This Mean for Simmons’ NBA Future?

According to the article, Simmons’ now ex-agent Lee “had enough” and dropped his client after the “point guard sent signals that he wasn’t interested in whatever came from his agent’s conversations with the Knicks.”

This didn’t seem like an ideal fit for either party anyway. Simmons has been struggling with injuries for years, primarily to his back, and he’s slowed down considerably. That doesn’t seem to be a perfect fit in the Knicks’ system under head coach Mike Brown. Plus, there are serious questions about how much he likes the spotlight, and it doesn’t get any more intense than Broadway’s lights. Perhaps a less intense situation would be preferable.

Zach Lowe of ESPN once described him two years ago as a “Broken player mentally, he’s scared of contact, he’s scared of free throws, he’s scared of shooting at the basket – it’s sad to watch.” It hasn’t gotten much better for the player since that quote, as he struggled to make an impact for the Clippers or the Nets during recent seasons.

The Knicks’ interest made sense on paper. They needed a high-IQ playmaker and a sound defensive player. But the baggage Simmons comes with, including his laundry list of injuries and his inability to shoot, made their interest surprising. Nevertheless, they wanted him, and it was Simmons who turned them down.

The frustration from his agent likely stems from the fact that the Knicks were his only contract offer. This raises questions about his NBA future, where he’d wish to play, and perhaps whether the Australian will play at all during the 2025-26 season.