Ahead of this year’s trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers made one of the biggest deals in NBA history. In a trade with the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers landed Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis. However, the Lakers considered making a separate trade to bolster their frontcourt. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers considered a trade for big man Jericho Sims from the New York Knicks. However, the Knicks ultimately dealt him to the Milwaukee Bucks.
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. 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.”
Los Angeles Lakers ‘Considered’ Trade for Jericho Sims Before Deadline
The Lakers Did Make Another Trade for a Big Man
Though the Lakers did not trade for Sims, they made a trade to land another big man to replace Davis. They traded Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams. While not nearly as big of a trade as the Doncic deal, many praised this move for the Lakers as Williams has a lot of potential and provides value. However, the trade was rescinded because of Williams’ failed physical.
Lakers say the Mark Williams/Dalton Knecht trade has been rescinded.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025
Going forward, the Lakers will likely start Jaxson Hayes at center. However, while Hayes is a solid big man, this is far from ideal for the Lakers. Now in the midst of a five-game winning streak, the Lakers are aiming for a championship this season. They are 31-19 and own the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. With Doncic and LeBron James on the same team, they will remain legitimate title contenders. However, their roster is not as complete as many hoped.
The Last Word
While it would not have moved the needle much, Sims would have been a good addition for the Lakers. He is very athletic and brings great energy on the court. Regardless, the Lakers will move forward with their roster as it stands. Currently, the team is still awaiting Doncic’s debut. However, he will likely make his debut on Monday night against the Utah Jazz.
A new era in Los Angeles 🌴
Luka Doncic is expected to make his Lakers debut tonight vs. the Jazz!
10:30 PM ET on ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+ 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Bb28AmXY54
— ESPN (@espn) February 10, 2025
The Lakers have not made it back to the NBA Finals since winning it all in 2020. They are hoping to end this streak this season. However, there is a lot of competition ahead of them. Nonetheless, the Lakers are in a good spot to rank among the top teams in the league the rest of the way.
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