The New York Knicks signed a deal that went unnoticed on Friday night: backup center Jericho Sims will have his $2.09 million salary for the 2024-25 season fully guaranteed, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Sims, 25, will be entering his fourth NBA season, where he could have the biggest role of his short career thus far. With Isaiah Hartenstein now with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Knicks are looking for ways to replace his production, which has been anything but easy.
Earlier this offseason, New York brought back Precious Achiuwa on a one-year, $6 million deal. He is thought to be a good fit for the backup center spot behind the departing Mitchell Robinson, but his smaller size at just 6’8” may make the team feel more inclined to give Sims more minutes for his added height and athleticism. SNY’s Ian Begley also mentioned Julius Randle as a candidate for serious minutes in a backup center role.
One benefit of having Sims is that he has experience as a starter playing alongside Jalen Brunson, and while he won’t start for the Knicks in 2024, he could get serious minutes with several starters and make an impact. Over his first three seasons, Sims made a total of 32 starts for New York and averaged 4.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in those games. His inability to space the floor is an issue the Knicks should work around, but he has shown the ability to effectively transition to smaller, quicker players on the defensive end of the floor.