We’re just over a month away from NBA teams returning for training camp, and the New York Knicks are yet to sign a third-string center.
In fairness, it’s not for a lack of trying on the Knicks’ part. New York missed out on Jonas Valanciunas after he opted to return to Europe, and then suffered another blow when the Dallas Mavericks chose to match the offer sheet for Moussa Cisse.
Nevertheless, Mike Brown would likely feel a lot more confident about his team’s overall depth if the Knicks had an extra body at the center position. With that in mind, Steven Simineri of Knicks On SI has floated a potential reunion with Jericho Sims, suggesting a potential trade framework that looks like this:
New York Knicks Get: Jericho Sims
Milwaukee Bucks Get: Pacome Dadiet
“At best, Sims is looking at a third-string role behind the newly acquired Kel’el Ware and Myles Turner,” Simineri wrote. “The Bucks will also need to find frontcourt minutes for promising 6-foot-10 rookie Nate Ament and 6-foot-9 forward Ousmane Dieng.”
Simineri continued.
“The Knicks could simply swap Pacôme Dadiet (who would give the Bucks a multi-positional young piece to develop during their rebuild) and his $2.9 million salary for Sims. That’d also allow Tyler Nickel to be signed to the final roster spot the team can afford. Waiting out Milwaukee’s roster crunch is another option, though New York may opt to avoid the risk and reincorporate Sims sooner rather than later.”
Sims played in 67 games for the Bucks last season, starting 19 of them. He averaged 5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists throughout the campaign.
Sims Would Provide Reliable Athleticism
Adding Sims would give Mike Brown a different dimension off the bench. Sims is a highly athletic big man who can excel as a vertical floor spacer and rim-runner.
With Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as the primary big man duo, adding a young, explosive lob threat who can protect the rim and provide high-level help defense would ensure the Knicks have a well-rounded trio to lean on.
The fact that Sims is already familiar with the Knicks organization and has relationships with some members of the roster would ensure a smooth transition as he got up to speed with Brown’s system.
Nick Richards Remains The Best Bet
Unless the Bucks explicitly make Sims available, either via trade or waivers, New York would likely benefit more from pursuing Nick Richards. The veteran big man is still a free agent and would bring experience and athleticism to New York’s bench unit.
However, Richards might not be interested in such a deep-bench role, which could explain why he isn’t already looking for somewhere to live in the city. Nevertheless, the Knicks should at least kick the tires on Richards’ interest in joining the franchise on a one-year ‘prove it deal.’
If Richards would prefer to hold out for a different opportunity, then so be it. At that point, Sims should become a logical target. Whatever the Knicks decide to do, adding one more big man before the start of training camp would be the ideal end to the offseason.
Proposed Trade Reunites Knicks With Explosive Big Man