The Los Angeles Lakers do not need every move after missing out on Jonathan Kuminga to be a big one.
Sometimes the better response is to fix a smaller problem cheaply.
California Post reporter Khobi Price identified Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims as one of the Lakers’ potential trade targets after Kuminga chose Minnesota, and Sims could make sense as a low-cost addition to a frontcourt that still needs another true center.
A workable framework would be simple:
Lakers receive: Jericho Sims
Bucks receive: Dalton Knecht
Los Angeles should resist attaching draft compensation unless Milwaukee insists.
Sims is making just $2.8 million in the final year of his contract, while Knecht carries a $4.2 million salary this season. That makes the deal easy to construct financially while actually lowering the Lakers’ payroll.
Jericho Sims Would Give Luka Doncic Another Lob Threat
The appeal starts with roster balance.
The Lakers currently have only two natural centers in Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney, leaving them vulnerable if either misses time.
Sims would not arrive expecting a major offensive role. That is part of the attraction.
The 6-foot-10 center has built his NBA value around rebounding, screening, rim-running and elite explosiveness.
And “athletic” almost undersells him.
Sims recorded a 44.5-inch maximum vertical leap at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, tying for the third-highest mark in combine history. His explosiveness still translates to NBA games.
Sims threw down 95 dunks in 67 appearances last season, nearly 1.4 per game.
That is exactly the kind of uncomplicated offensive weapon Luka Doncic can maximize.
Doncic has spent much of his career creating easy baskets for centers by forcing defenses to choose between stopping his drives and protecting the rim. Sims would not need touches or post-ups. He would need to set hard screens, sprint toward the basket and play above the rim.
Kessler already gives Los Angeles a vertical threat in the starting lineup. Sims could provide a similar dimension off the bench, while Looney offers a more physical, rebounding-oriented alternative.
Why Bucks Could Consider Lakers’ Former First-Round Pick
Milwaukee would have reason to listen.
Sims is entering unrestricted free agency next summer and profiles as a depth piece rather than a long-term building block.
Knecht, meanwhile, gives the Bucks a different type of upside.
The former first-round pick is still 25 and remains under team control beyond this season. His shooting pedigree and size on the wing could make him a worthwhile reclamation project for a Milwaukee team continuing to reshape its roster.
The Lakers would also preserve their better trade ammunition.
Jarred Vanderbilt could remain available as matching salary in a larger deal. Jaden Hardy could stay in the rotation or become part of another package. Los Angeles would not have to touch their 2032 first-round pick swap or their second-round draft capital.
There is one drawback.
A one-for-one swap would not solve the Lakers’ 16-player guaranteed roster crunch. Los Angeles would still need another transaction before opening night.
That makes Sims less transformative than some of the Lakers’ other options.
But the price is also substantially lower.
After missing on Kuminga, the Lakers do not have to force a blockbuster.
If they can turn a young wing into a 6-foot-10 center with a 44.5-inch vertical and 95 dunks last season while preserving their premium assets for another move, Sims would be a calculated bet on what Doncic does best: making life easy for big men who can play above the rim.
Lakers Trade Pitch Lands 44.5-Inch Vertical Big Man as Luka Doncic’s Lob Partner