Ben Simmons battle to enter the sprint, the Knicks Kings final competition

Comprehensive report on August 1, the free agent market is coming to an end, and the next home of former All-Star player Ben Simmons has become the focus. According to the latest report by the well-known Knicks reporter Ian Begley, the New York Knicks are still striving to sign Simmons, seeing him as a strong candidate to fill the last seat on the team's roster.

Bergley revealed that the Knicks management continued to maintain a strong interest in Simmons this week. The team believes that the 28-year-old forward can join with a low-risk contract, which brings two key values to the team: one is that he still has top-notch multi-position defensive ability, and the other is that he can share certain organizational tasks on the bench.

Knicks' competitors are also clear. ESPN ace reporter Brian Vinhorst pointed out that Simmons is expected to make the final decision in the next few days, and the two teams currently in the lead are the Knicks and the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are also looking for the final puzzle of lineup depth.

Although Simmons has suffered from injuries in recent years and his role limitations have caused a sharp decline in data - he played for the Clippers last season and averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in 16.4 minutes - his all-round performance of 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists in his career still makes many teams willing to bet on his recovery potential.

In addition to the Knicks and the Kings, the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics were also mentioned to be interested in Simmons, but sources generally believe that the two teams are not the most powerful contenders at the moment.

Knicks management is also weighing other options, and defender Landry Shamet is also on the team's last lineup seat evaluation list. But obviously, if Simmons can be signed at a reasonable price, the unique skill set he can provide - especially the comprehensiveness and organizational vision on the defensive end - is quite attractive to the Knicks.