Lakers Could Have Interest in Former Knicks Center

The Los Angeles Lakers have a huge summer ahead of them. After a disappointing end to their season, the Lakers will look to bolster their roster and compete for the entire 82-game season and beyond. 

The Lakers' roster had many glaring holes despite trading for arguably the top player in the league, Luka Doncic. While the Lakers couldn’t pass up on trading for a player of Doncic’s caliber, it left them without a big man, and ultimately, it cost them. 

They paid for it big time, which ultimately led to their downfall. Now the attention has shifted to the summer and the 2025-26 season. The Lakers desperately need a big man to add to their roster this summer, and they have plenty of options to choose from. 

One of the many big men they could trade for is former New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report shared how the Lakers could go after Sims, as they could search for a ‘younger’ big man to fill their center void. 

“The Lakers could instead chase younger bigs who might be able to fit the bill like Jericho Sims, Day’Ron Sharpe (potentially a restricted free agent) or some other off-the-radar candidate,” wrote Pincus. 

Sims could fit the timeline well and is the type of player that would thrive alongside Doncic. 

Sims, 26, is a high-energy, athletic big who thrives as a lob threat and shot-altering presence on defense. His strengths lie in rim protection, rebounding, and defensive versatility, particularly in switching situations. Offensively, his contributions come through finishes around the rim—whether on dunks, lobs, or the occasional post-up.

While he's not someone who can generate his own offense, the Lakers—assuming their system revolves around Doncic—don’t necessarily need a self-creating big. Sims’ skill set fits well alongside a ball-dominant star who can orchestrate the offense.

Sims started the season with the Knicks, but he played limited minutes. New York was also going to get back their other center, Mitchell Robinson, who is similar in play style. That led them to trade Sims to the Milwaukee Bucks prior to the trade deadline. 

In the season, Sims averaged 1.8 points per game, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks while shooting 63.4 percent from the field in 53 games and 11.9 minutes of action. Sims is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

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