Knicks' Future Unknown for Jericho Sims
New York Knicks center Jericho Sims is entering the final year of his contract, but he has a chance to make a major splash this season.
With Isaiah Hartenstein signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder and no true replacement for him found, the Knicks could rely on Sims at some point in the season to fill the void.
However, SNY insider Ian Begley doesn't believe the Knicks have a ton of glowing confidence in Sims to be their center of the future.
"The Knicks have been gauging their options at center," Begley writes. "So that could give you a little insight into where they are on Sims. Unless I’m reading too much into it, the Knicks’ actions suggest that they’re not fully confident with Sims as a second or third center at this point. Maybe Sims changes their mind with a strong training camp/preseason."
Sims, 25, is making just over $2 million this season for the Knicks, so there isn't a massive investment regardless of which direction he eventually goes in.
The Knicks have seen enough from him though to not sign someone right now, and that should also be a sign that the team has some sort of belief in him. If the Knicks truly felt there was an emergency at the center position because Sims was their backup, team president Leon Rose would have made a move to reflect that. Maybe that move is coming in the weeks leading up to training camp, but it's likely that Sims can go into the preseason with a chance to snatch the backup center role.
If he's given a chance to play this season, Sims needs to seize the moment, because it could lead to the Knicks going for someone else if it doesn't work out.