The Los Angeles Lakers need to trim their roster down from 16 players on standard contracts to 15 by the start of the regular season, per NBA rules. They also have a clear need for another backup center, especially given the concerns about Kevon Looney and how viable a big man he is at this stage in his career.
They don’t have a lot of attractive trade capital, but one has to wonder if another team could be willing to take a player such as Dalton Knecht and give up a viable backup center in return.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers have had some talks with the Milwaukee Bucks about sending out Knecht for Jericho Sims. However, Fischer noted that it doesn’t seem likely right now that such a trade will see the light of day (h/t NBACentral).
“League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would ship former first-round selection Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee (along with second-round draft capital) in exchange for big man Jericho Sims. Yet it must be said that I’ve also heard some pessimism from sources briefed on those talks that such a trade will actually go through.”
“League sources say that the Lakers and Bucks have held exploratory trade discussions on a framework that would ship former first-round selection Dalton Knecht to Milwaukee (along with second-round draft capital) in exchange for big man Jericho Sims. Yet it must be said that I’ve also heard some pessimism from sources briefed on those talks that such a trade will actually go through.”
Sims, who is going into his sixth NBA season, isn’t a shot-blocker or a 3-point shooter. But the 6-foot-10, 250-pound center averaged five points on 78.4% shooting and 5.5 rebounds in 19.7 minutes a game last season, so he could provide the Lakers with some much-needed rebounding.
He has a reputation as a high-energy, high-motor, defensive-minded player who is a lob threat. He has some ability to guard smaller players on switches, as well as function well in drop coverage.
He had 95 dunks last season, which is a lot considering the amount of playing time he received, as well as the fact that he missed 15 games.
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