During his appearance on The Roommates Show, a podcast hosted by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, at Central Park in New York this weekend, Crawford first hyped the crowd, asking, “I need y’all’s energy. Do y’all really believe the Knicks will be in the Finals this year?” Do not judge the phrasing. The ‘really’ has no sarcastic implication. The crowd got it. And they screamed their belief that 2026, almost three decades since the last time the Knicks were in the finals, is their year.

Crawford got the response he was looking for loud and clear. Responding to his own question, the 45-year-old said, “Yeah, I believe it. And I’m going to be honest with you, I’ve been here since 2004… and there’s no fans like you guys. You guys bring the best out of them. You guys make these guys superheroes on the court with the energy y’all bring.”

It’s the kind of positivity New York needs right now. The Knicks enter the season with an arguably stronger roster than last year, yet there are still internal hurdles to clear. Tom Thibodeau’s firing left the franchise at a crossroads, and now the challenge falls to new head coach Mike Brown to mold this group into a contender.

Crawford, who has been vocal about Jalen Brunson’s potential since his days as a TNT analyst, sees him as the catalyst for change. While not all fans have embraced that optimism, the crowd gathered at Central Park certainly did, echoing Crawford’s belief in the team’s direction.

What fuels Crawford’s confidence? Maybe it’s just the passion of the New York faithful. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s tied to whispers about what the Knicks’ front office has planned behind the scenes.

Ben Simmons might be in a Jamal Crawford-like situation

Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson stirred Knicks nation this weekend with an interesting bit of news. According to his sources, the team is keen on signing at least one more player this offseason after acquiring Jordan Clarkson in July. “The New York Knicks have emerged as one of the leading suitors for former All-Star Ben Simmons, league sources tell me, with both sides showing mutual interest as recently as last month about one of the team’s final roster spots,” Scoop B reported.

Simmons spent the last season between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers. With every trade, his future becomes more uncertain. Most trade watchers are counting down the days to his retirement. The Knicks look like a potential last stop for Simmons for a minimum contract.

While it sounds great on paper, Simmons is reportedly looking for a contract above the veteran’s minimum. That doesn’t sound very ‘high rewards’ when the probability of him contributing to any team depends on his health. And that hasn’t been up to par in the past years.

Crawford has not commented on Simmons recently. But he was in his spot once, back in 2018, when the NBA journeyman was a free agent. At that time, Simmons, who was with the 76ers, wanted the team to sign the sharpshooter. That never happened. Crawford went to Phoenix and in one of his first games, crushed the Knicks with a career-high 14 assists. Crawford last played for the Nets in 2020 but felt forced into retirement in 2022.

If Simmons is seeking a higher than minimum salary, he might begin training camp unsigned. Unless the Knicks really make an offer he can’t refuse, he might be in the same position as Crawford once was, without an NBA team that doesn’t want to make room on their bench.