The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in making a trade for a backup big man, as it’s quickly become clear the team doesn’t have a true answer in the frontcourt for the minutes when starting center Walker Kessler is on the bench.
With that, Jericho Sims has been a name mentioned in Lakers trade rumors as a top target for the team. The franchise already tried making a move for the Milwaukee Bucks‘ athletic center over the offseason, and while they failed to get a deal done, recent reports indicate he’s still being eyed by Los Angeles.
Sims is the exact archetype of a player the Lakers have been looking to add. His athleticism fits the mold of the big men who play well with Luka Doncic, and with his extremely limited playing time with the Bucks so far this season, he could become available in a trade.
Lakers Top Trade Target Remains Jericho Sims
Speaking over the weekend during a SiriusXM interview, NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed Sims remains a top trade target for the Lakers.
“Jericho Sims is clearly someone the Lakers have liked, and that type of archetype, that type of bouncy rim runner who Luka [Doncic] obviously has enjoyed great success with dating back to Dallas, on a minimum salary deal is the easy, obvious, highlight letter A, No. 1 option for them,” Fischer said. “But I think those kinds of players are also who the Lakers will be looking at.”
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The links between the two are nothing new. Over the offseason, when it was still unknown what Los Angeles had with the new-look roster, Dan Woike of The Athletic named Sims as the type of big man the Lakers should seriously consider as a trade target.
“Sims fits the run-and-jump archetype that you’d love to put around Dončić because he’s big and a tremendous athlete. He’s currently slated as the Bucks’ No. 3 center behind Myles Turner and Kel’el Ware,” he wrote. “Scouts have defensive concerns away from the basket, and Sims has never really been able to produce consistently. But he’s a dunker and rebounder whom the Lakers could use second-round draft capital to try and pry loose.”
In the time since, Sims has consistently been a name mentioned as one the Lakers would love to have on the roster. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley was the latest to do so.
“He clearly isn’t part of the Bucks’ plans, but he could part of the Lakers’, since he has the right blend of length, bounce and finishing to thrive as an above-the-rim energizer,” he wrote.
Sims has only played in six games for the Bucks this season, averaging just 0.3 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.2 assists in 7.7 minutes per game. He doesn’t appear to be a part of the team’s future, which only makes the 28-year-old a more realistic Lakers trade target this season.
Los Angeles Could Try Again On Big Man Deal, Bronny James Could Move The Needle
The Lakers failed to land Sims before the season began because the team was reportedly interested in sending back to second-round picks to the Bucks for the big man. Los Angeles was willing to include Dalton Knecht and one second-rounder, but didn’t want to give up more draft assets, which halted Milwaukee from continuing trade talks.
However, with Sims still listed as a top Lakers trade target, if the team truly wants to add him to the roster, sacrifices might need to be made.
Knecht obviously isn’t with the Lakers anymore, but with a few other young players they could move, the Lakers might want to entertain the idea of swapping either Jaden Hardy or Bronny James if it means landing Sims as the team’s next backup center.
Recently, it was CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn who proposed the thought that while James doesn’t have a ton of value in Los Angeles, he could be the exact type of player a struggling team like the Bucks would love to have to increase jersey sales and overall attention in a year in which they aren’t going to be competitive.
“If I were the Lakers, I’d be trying to trade Bronny right now to some owner who wants to sell some jerseys. I’d rather keep Knecht on the books as possible trade salary than cut him and deal with dead money. The Lakers don’t really need the James brand like other teams do,” he wrote in a post on X.
If the Bucks do want James and would be willing to give up Sims, Los Angeles would still need to include at least one second-round pick in a deal. Two minor draft assets would be even better, but that comes down to how risky Rob Pelinka and the front office want to get.
For now, the Lakers still have a big issue with the backup center position, so even if two second-round picks, James, or Hardy aren’t on the table right now, that could change as the team gets more desperate to bolster its frontcourt depth.
Regardless, the good news is that Sims remains a top Lakers trade target, and as time goes on, the links haven’t slowed down, meaning Los Angeles could be getting closer to landing the backup center they’ve needed to continue capitalizing on the team’s hot start to the 2026-27 NBA season.
Lakers Could Be Closer To Top Trade Target As Links Only Grow