The New York Knicks were very quiet in this year’s trade deadline, with a Jericho Sims and Delon Wright swap being their only move. New York didn’t have many tradeable assets that would get their team over the hump, and Sims’ value was incredibly low due to poor play and inconsistent time on the court.
The Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, were the complete opposite of quiet, pulling off a blockbuster trade to acquire Luka Doncic in what is arguably the most stunning trade in league history.
The Lakers almost traded for Jericho Sims
Though the Bucks chose to take Sims on to help complete the Khris Middleton and Kyle Kuzma blockbuster trade, they reportedly weren’t the only team that was willing to take on the high-flying big man.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin mentioned that the Lakers were another team that almost made a move for him. Their need for a center became astronomical after they traded away Anthony Davis to acquire Doncic, and the center market was fairly weak.
“The Lakers considered adding bruising 6-10 center Jericho Sims, sources said, before he was moved from New York to Milwaukee on Wednesday for Delon Wright as an addition to the Kyle Kuzma-for-Khris Middleton deal,” McMenamin said. “Sims would have fit the ‘stuff around the margins’ category that Pelinka vowed the team would explore during Doncic’s introductory news conference Tuesday because, the GM said, ‘the market for bigs right now … is very dry. There’s just not a lot available,” McMenamin said.
Los Angeles is still without a proper starting center post-deadline. They had initially traded for Mark Williams in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and a first-round pick, but the deal was rescinded by Los Angeles after they discovered several issues in his physical, thus failing his medical exam and reversing the move after the deadline had already passed.
The Lakers need a center while the Knicks are preparing to welcome one back
Now, their only healthy centers are Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko. Christian Wood still hasn’t played this year as he deals with an injury, but he could immediately become their starting center upon his return.
Sims could have temporarily been an impactful starter for the Lakers. He has made 37 starts in his four-year career, and could’ve helped provide some depth for a team that is without proper big men. His offensive limitations wouldn’t have been ideal to have on the floor with LeBron James and Luka Doncic, but he would have helped enhance their defense for certain.
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The Knicks, meanwhile, are expecting Mitchell Robinson to return any day now, so the hope for them is that their center situation will improve drastically with him back on the court. The Lakers will have to find a solution to a pretty significant problem after failing to acquire Sims and shutting down the Williams trade.