The New York Knicks may be parting ways with fourth-year backup center Jericho Sims soon, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported before Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons that the team is actively shopping Sims with the trade deadline less than a month away.
The Knicks are moving on from Jericho Sims
Bondy added that Mitchell Robinson is on track to return to practice later this month, per head coach Tom Thibodeau. That would relegate Sims to being the fourth-string center, meaning that it makes sense for the Knicks to trade him given that he is a free agent after the season.
Sims has fallen out of the rotation entirely after starting the year as the backup to Karl-Anthony Towns. He was the main backup center while Precious Achiuwa was out with an injury, but Sims has since lost that spot since Achiuwa’s return.
In the past two games, Sims didn’t play at all despite both games being decided well before the end of regulation. Since Dec. 21, Sims has logged a DNP (Did Not Play) six times, all due to coach’s decision. He was listed out on Monday against the Pistons with back spasms.
The Knicks need more bench depth
The lack of minutes even in garbage time would indicate that they are preserving his health to keep him valuable on the trade market. Sims has averaged just 1.7 points and 3.6 rebounds this season and has failed to show significant improvements in his game despite being in the league for four seasons.
The Knicks need bench depth badly, as they rank dead last in bench points by a sizable margin. Sims could be dealt as a part of a package that includes some draft capital to acquire a sixth-man level player, or he can simply be moved for additional draft picks that can help facilitate future trades.
Nevertheless, the Knicks appear to have finally put an end to the Sims experiment, and it seems that it is only a matter of time before he is suiting up for a different team later this season.