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Third-year big man Jericho Sims has flashed some potential during his tenure with the New York Knicks, but he still has plenty of room to grow before he establishes himself as a consistent contributor within an NBA rotation.
At least, that’s what Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley believes to be the case, and stated as such while deeming the 24-year-old as one of the club’s most promising prospects.
“Often barricaded behind Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, Sims has yet to pave his path to consistent playing time. Still, it feels like his NBA identity is already established. The bouncy big man is an active rim-runner who can rebound, protect the paint and finish above the rim,” Buckley wrote.
Despite his rather lowly career averages of 2.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and half a block per game, this past season, when receiving 20-29 minutes of action, the former Texas standout posted per-game averages of 5.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while boasting an incredibly efficient true shooting percentage of 73.9.
Knicks ‘Praying’ for Joel Embiid to Request Trade
Jericho Sims may be a rising young big man in the association, but Philadelphia 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey believes the Knicks are interested in an already-established star pivot, as he noted on a July 22 appearance on Serious XM NBA Radio that Leon Rose and company are “praying” for Joel Embiid to request a trade.
“Leon Rose used to be his agent. Joel already owns a house up in New York, he’s had it for a while. And the worst-kept secret is that the Knicks have been compiling and keeping ahold of their first-round draft picks hoping, and praying that Joel Embiid asks out,” Pompey said. “I can see that absolutely happening.”
The league’s reigning MVP is coming off an astounding 2022-23 campaign where he posted 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field.
‘New York Has the Assets’ for Joel Embiid
Should the Knicks truly be gunning for a Joel Embiid trade, Jordanna Clark of FanSided’s Daily Knicks suggests that they could realistically piece together a package worthy of consideration by the Sixers’ front office.
“The goal has been for Embiid to win a title for the Sixers, but the organization’s outlook to make it to that point isn’t looking good,” Clark wrote. “It wouldn’t be a shock for him to request a trade so that he could try to win a championship elsewhere, namely the Knicks. New York has the assets to get a deal done, and Embiid used to be represented by former CAA agent Leon Rose.”
As Clark is alluding to when discussing the current assortment of assets in New York’s possession, the Knicks find themselves holding the rights to eight tradable first-round draft picks over the next seven seasons, according to Real GM.
Should the Sixers offload a player like Joel Embiid, it would almost certainly then spark a full-fledged rebuild for the franchise, which is a movement that generally covets two key traits: draft capital and young talents.
Though it may not be an easy thing to accomplish, considering their collection of both types of assets (with sub-25-year-old players such as Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jericho Sims all at their disposal), there is almost certainly a scenario where both sides could find a way to agree on such a blockbuster transaction should Joel Embiid wind up requesting out.
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