Just days away is Oct. 19, the deadline for NBA teams to become roster compliant. The Los Angeles Lakers are among a few teams facing a roster squeeze. To go from 16 players to 15, the Lakers can either waive a player or make a consolidation trade.
If the Lakers are thinking about a trade, it sure seems it would need to happen before Oct. 19. On Thursday, it was reported that the franchise engaged in trade talks with the Milwaukee Bucks for big man Jericho Sims, with Lakers wing Dalton Knecht involved in those discussions.
Knecht, 25, has been speculated as the odd man out for months, but it appears the Lakers have not had an easy time trading him. However, there could be a simple way to entice the Bucks to agree to a trade that sends Sims to Los Angeles.
Why a Knecht-Sims Trade Makes Sense for Lakers, Bucks
As Bucks beat writer Tre Allen noted, the Bucks’ strong big man depth could be a simple and logical reason for the franchise to deal Sims to the Lakers.
“As the 25-year-old is still looking to carve out a role, the young Bucks teams that are looking for production from anyone could be a possible suitor for Knecht, but like Fischer reported there have been doubts that an actual trade involving Sims and Knecht will actually go through,” Allen wrote for Sports Illustrated’s Bucks on SI. “Sims provides great athleticism and rebounding skills, but possible depth for a rebuilding team could be reasonable with Kel’el Ware and Myles Turner as the two main centers. Porter and LeVert were also brought up by Fischer as potential players to be traded to get under the roster limit, rather than simply cutting players who are under contract.”
According to Dalton Sell of Behind the Buck Pass, the Bucks could benefit from a deal for Knecht, who could help shore up a shaky forward rotation.
“Unless there are other pieces involved here, this particular deal wouldn’t do much to address the Milwaukee Bucks’ lingering backcourt logjam — though Fischer does mention Kevin Porter Jr. and Caris LeVert are on the table in trade talks,” Sell penned. “While the guard spots are full, Knecht could be a solid option to join Milwaukee’s forward rotation, given how much of a weak spot that currently is.”
L.A., Milwaukee Have Reasons to Sign Off on Deal
The Lakers may have to attach at least one second round pick in a potential deal for Sims to sell the Bucks on a deal. It may sting to trade away a first round pick from just three drafts ago, much less having to pay to move him, but the Lakers are about as desperate for a back up center as a team could be.
With star big man Walker Kessler firmly planted as the center of the future, it would be a shame if the Lakers were unable to get him even a semi-consistent big man to help shoulder some of the frontcourt load.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have Turner and Ware to man their frontline, though both players have come up in NBA trade rumors rather often and — surprise, surprise! — have even been mentioned in Lakers trade speculation.
The bottom is that the Lakers could get Sims if they really tried, which is the good news. But if they are aiming to move Knecht straight up for Sims, that might not be a successful approach.
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