Jericho Sims Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Sims, Centers, Reddish, Hart

December 19th, 2023 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Knicks center Jericho Sims sprained his right ankle after just three minutes of action in Monday’s win over the Lakers. Head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t have an update after the game about the severity of the injury, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), but Sims was in a walking boot, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.

Still, it sounds like the injury may not be significant. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), the Knicks are listing Sims as questionable to play in Wednesday’s contest vs. Brooklyn, which suggests he may not have to miss any time at all.

If Sims is forced to the sidelines, his absence figures to result in a significant role for reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein, who had already been getting the majority of playing time at the five since Mitchell Robinson went down.

On Monday, Hartenstein logged an impressive 39 minutes off the bench and played a key role in the victory — he grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds and the Knicks outscored the Lakers by 15 points when he was on the court. Recently added big man Taj Gibson was a minus-8 in his six minutes of action.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Prior to Monday’s win and Sims’ ankle injury, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post questioned whether Hartenstein should simply be moved into the starting lineup, since the groups with Sims at center haven’t been particularly effective, especially defensively. Since Robinson’s injury, New York has a +11.5 net rating with Hartenstein on the court and a -16.9 mark (including a 131.1 defensive rating) when Sims is playing.
Facing his former Knicks team for the first time this season on Monday, Lakers forward Cam Reddish wasn’t willing to revisit the past, Bondy writes in another New York Post story. “I’ve got nothing for you,” Reddish said on his way out of the locker room. “My time in New York is over.” Asked about the former Knicks forward, who fell out of favor in New York and reportedly sought a trade, Thibodeau lauded the 24-year-old for being willing to accept his role in Los Angeles: “I think the first thing is to embrace the role, and I think he’s done a really good job of that.”
Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Josh Hart attributed his bumpy start to this season to adjusting to a new role and to not being in his usual rhythm after spending a long summer with Team USA. Still, Hart suggested he’d happily accept an invitation to the 2024 Olympic team — though he’s not necessarily holding his breath for that invite. “I’d be very pleasantly surprised if I get a call. If I do, I’ll go cheerlead LeBron (James), KD (Kevin Durant) and all of them and I would love every minute of it,” he said with a laugh.
After seven straight lottery seasons from 2014-20, the Knicks are now a “fully functional” franchise and a solid playoff team, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who considers what it will take for the club to become more than that.

Atlantic Notes: White, Thybulle, Sixers, Knicks

December 17th, 2023 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

Does Derrick White deserve All-Star consideration? Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston argues that the Celtics guard has a legitimate case, noting that the team has a +13.6 net rating when White is on the court compared to a +1.5 mark when he sits. That’s the widest on/off difference for any player on the roster.

White is also averaging 15.6 points and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 42.7% on three-pointers. All of those numbers would be career bests for the seventh-year guard (with the exception of his rookie season, when he shot 48.5% from the floor and 61.5% on threes in just 139 total minutes).

Still, while the 19-5 Celtics certainly have a case to send multiple players to this season’s All-Star Game in Indianapolis, it’s unclear whether White will make the cut. As Forsberg observes, Jayson Tatum is a lock to be an All-Star, while teammates Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis will also warrant consideration.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Since being traded from Philadelphia to Portland at last season’s trade deadline, Matisse Thybulle has made 39.9% of his three-point attempts, well above the 32.5% mark he put up across three-and-a-half seasons with the Sixers. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wonders if the 76ers gave up on Thybulle too early and whether he might’ve been rejuvenated under a new head coach in Nick Nurse.
In a separate story for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Gina Mizell previews trade season for the Sixers, identifying some potential big-name trade targets while also considering what sort of role players might fit in Philadelphia. A prototypical point guard, a more traditional center, and a “straight-up gunner” are among the pieces the club could keep an eye out for, Mizell suggests.
With Mitchell Robinson out for a couple months and Taj Gibson now a part of the roster, Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation at center for the Knicks looks pretty clear, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Jericho Sims will start, Isaiah Hartenstein will get the majority of the minutes, and Gibson will be available for insurance purposes. That’s how it worked out on Friday and Saturday, with Hartenstein averaging 30.5 minutes, Sims averaging 17.5, and Gibson logging a total of seven minutes in garbage time.

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sims, Hartenstein, Walsh

December 12th, 2023 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic isn’t oblivious to the calls to modify his starting lineup, but he’s not prepared to make any changes yet. In a media session on Tuesday, Rajakovic said he wants to give his current starting five – Dennis Schröder, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl – “another game or two” to figure things out, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

The five-man group has a minus-4.7 net rating in 270 minutes so far this season. As Lewenberg observes, the starters have been outscored in six of the Raptors’ last seven games and the club lost all six of those games. If there are no positive steps forward within the next couple games, it sounds like Rajakovic is open to shaking things up.

“It’s not something that’s completely off the table,” he said today.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Eric Koreen and John Hollinger of The Athletic teamed up to examine what it would look like if the Raptors become trade deadline sellers, weighing the trade value of players like Siakam and Anunoby. Hollinger also digs into what a trade sending Siakam to the Hawks might look like, suggesting a package of a couple first-round picks (Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 pick and Atlanta’s own “lightly protected” 2029 selection), De’Andre Hunter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic in exchange for Siakam and Christian Koloko.
While Jericho Sims got the starting nod in the Knicks‘ first game without center Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein played more minutes than Sims did and was part of the closing lineup, notes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Katz takes a closer look at what Robinson’s extended absence will mean for New York, exploring whether additional lineup and rotation tweaks may be necessary if Sims continues to start.
Celtics forward Jordan Walsh has yet to make his regular season NBA debut, having spent much of his rookie season so far in the G League. According to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, head coach Joe Mazzulla – who has said he wants to see Walsh focus on defense and impacting the game without scoring during his time in Maine – is keeping tabs on the rookie’s progress. “We get an email after every game,” Mazzulla said. “Craig [Luschenat], our guy who works with our player development, and [Maine head coach] Blaine [Mueller] are in constant communication and then we have constant development checklist of what’s important to us, where we want him to be at the end of the season, where we want him to be in a year from now.”

Mitchell Robinson To Miss At Least 8-To-10 Weeks After Ankle Surgery

December 11th, 2023 at 11:34am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will undergo surgery on his left ankle and will be reevaluated in eight-to-10 weeks, the team announced today (via Twitter). The operation will be performed this week at the Hospital for Special Surgery, according to the Knicks.

Robinson had already been ruled out of tonight’s game after injuring the ankle in the first half of Friday’s contest at Boston. He had an X-ray and was able to return for five minutes in the third quarter before being pulled from the game.

The Knicks will miss Robinson as both a defensive anchor and a presence on the boards. Through 21 games, he’s averaging career highs of 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per night, along with 1.3 blocks and 6.2 points while shooting 59.2% from the field.

Robinson’s place in the starting lineup will go to Isaiah Hartenstein, who has been an effective backup, averaging 5.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per night over 21 games. Robinson’s absence should also mean more playing time for Jericho Sims, who has only appeared in nine games but was effective when Robinson was sidelined last season.

After Robinson hurt his ankle on Friday, coach Tom Thibodeau expressed confidence in his reserve big men, according to Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post.

“I felt all along that one of our strengths was that position,” Thibodeau said. “The way Mitch has been playing, the way Isaiah has been playing — actually, Isaiah has … deserved more [time]. But also, Jericho, we forget that he’s sitting there. And Jericho played very, very well for us last year.”

Knicks Notes: B. Brown, Tournament, Mitchell, Centers

November 2nd, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown was a long shot for the Knicks in free agency, but he still met with them before deciding to sign with the Pacers. The versatile swingman talked to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post about the details of that meeting, which took place on FaceTime.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau was a strong supporter of adding Brown and told him the Knicks needed him to “do the little things to help them win.” Thibodeau made his recruiting pitch along with team president Leon Rose, but they couldn’t compete with Indiana’s offer. Brown signed for $45MM over two years, while New York was limited to $12.4MM per year with its mid-level exception.

“Thibs has always been a fan of mine, even coming out the draft when he was with Minnesota,” Brown said. “And every time I played against him we had a few communications. But this is the first time to actually get a chance to get me.”

There’s more from New York:

With the Knicks beginning play Friday in the NBA’s new in-season tournament, Bondy reached out to two of the team’s lower-salaried players to see what the $500K grand prize would mean to them. Ryan Arcidiacono and Dylan Windler, who both have non-guaranteed contracts, said they would use the bonus money to help pay off their mortgages.
The Knicks might be a more entertaining team if they had met Utah’s price in trade negotiations for Donovan Mitchell, but there’s no guarantee they would be better, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Vaccaro points to the team’s last offer for Mitchell, which would have included RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier, two unprotected first-round picks and three more first-rounders. It might have also precluded the trade for Josh Hart and the signing of Donte DiVincenzo. Vaccaro notes that New York still has most of those assets, which can be used for the next big-name player who becomes available.
There has been plenty of speculation that the Knicks might be waiting for Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns to hit the trade market, but Thibodeau is happy with his current center pairing of Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. “(Isaiah) and Mitch together, it’s a great tandem,” Thibodeau told reporters before Wednesday’s game. “They complement each other extremely well, they support each other, they’re great teammates. You throw Jericho (Sims) in there as well, that position, we feel pretty good about it.”

Knicks Notes: Sims, Hartenstein, Hart, McBride

October 12th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jericho Sims was primarily used as a center last season, but it looks like he’ll see more time at power forward, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. Sims logged most of his 26 minutes at the four during the Knicks’ preseason opener on Monday as Josh Hart sat out the game. Hart will be the primary backup to Julius Randle after New York traded away Obi Toppin this summer, but coach Tom Thibodeau plans to employ Sims in that role as well.

“We wanted to get a look at that with (Sims) on the floor,” Thibodeau said. “With Josh out and Julius playing limited minutes, it was a good opportunity for that.”

Katz notes that Sims played just 139 minutes last season alongside either Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein. Thibodeau may use those combinations more often against bigger lineups, even though it limits what the team can do on offense. The lack of spacing was a concern in Monday’s game, Katz observes, as Sims was left virtually unguarded in the corner as drivers encountered multiple defenders in the paint.

Hartenstein has also been seeing time at power forward in practice, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post, and Thibodeau likes how he and Sims work together on the court.

“(Hartenstein) and Jericho, they play very effectively together. And oftentimes, I’ll go more by how they’re being defended, who do they have their 4 on, who do they have their 5 on?” Thibodeau said.

There’s more from New York:

Hart sat out the opener because the Knicks are being cautious after he spent the summer representing Team USA in the World Cup, Braziller adds. “We just wanna make sure he’s completely healthy before we completely ramp him up,” Thibodeau said.
The Knicks are determined not to repeat the mistakes of two years ago when they followed a playoff season by winning just 37 games, Braziller notes in a separate story. There were significant roster moves that led to that letdown, but the organization emphasized continuity this summer, with free agent Donte DiVincenzo as the only significant addition. “The team was a little different. We had to try to figure things out differently,” RJ Barrett recalled. “It didn’t end up working out. That’s what I’ll say is the difference. This year, we added Donte, but we pretty much have the same guys out there. I think it should be better.”
Miles McBride believes he’ll be able to earn playing time, even though four guards currently appear to be ahead of him, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The defensive specialist worked to improve his three-point shot this summer and spent time training with his older brother in Australia. “I feel like the way I play, I’m going to create an opportunity for myself,” McBride said.

Knicks Notes: Fournier, Thibodeau, Sims, Goals

October 7th, 2023 at 6:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran wing Evan Fournier was pulled from the Knicks‘ rotation last season and hoped to be traded this offseason. However, he remains on New York’s roster entering 2023/24 and doesn’t appear to have a clear path to playing time.

While it would be easy for Fournier to hang his head, he says he’s still trying to work his way back into a regular role with the Knicks, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

“I might be dreaming of stuff, but to me, I can help the team,” Fournier said. “Like I’m a good player. I can f—king play. I bring stuff that this team doesn’t have, too. So, I have hope to play, to be honest. I have hope to play. Maybe I’m crazy, I don’t know.

“Maybe Thibs (head coach Tom Thibodeau) has already made up his mind and stuff, but my goal is to put him in a position where he has to think about playing me.”

Fournier, who is on a pseudo-expiring $18.9MM contract, says he didn’t contemplate holding out ahead of training camp and strongly disagreed with the tactic Jae Crowder chose last season, Bondy writes. The 30-year-old also says some of his comments over the summer about his dissatisfaction with his role were lost in translation (Fournier is French).

Thibodeau was mostly dismissive of Fournier’s offseason gripes on Monday, but he complimented him on Saturday, as Bondy relays.

“He’s a true pro,” Thibodeau said. “So he came in just doing all the things he should do.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Former Knicks guard Derrick Rose signed with the Grizzlies this offseason and seems to prefer Taylor Jenkins‘ training camps over Thibodeau’s, Bondy writes for The New York Post. “It’s ran different,” Rose said. “I’m just going to say that. It’s ran different. Here, it’s more smoother. It’s more fluent. And guys are really getting their work in. And that’s not saying the guys in New York didn’t get their work in.” However, free agent addition Donte DiVincenzo is pleased with Thibodeau’s camp. “He’s very detail-oriented, which I appreciate,” DiVincenzo said, per Bondy. “Going back to my college days, that’s why I’m in the NBA, playing for coaches who are detail-oriented. So, I think Thibs can bring the best out of me.”
On Saturday, Thibodeau singled out reserve center Jericho Sims as a training camp standout, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. “Jericho has really had a great camp,” Thibodeau said. “He’s the one guy, obviously coming off the surgery, he had a great summer the way he worked. He’s really done a good job for us.” The Knicks fully guaranteed Sims’ $1.93MM contract for ’23/24 this summer.
With the help of a scout and a “longtime talent evaluator,” Bondy created reasonable goals for the Knicks’ projected rotation players entering ’23/24. What should Quentin Grimes be working on entering his third season? According to Bondy, slowing down and exercising more patience would be a prudent choice.

Knicks To Guarantee Jericho Sims’ Contract For 2023/24

August 16th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks intend to fully guarantee Jericho Sims‘ $1.93MM salary for 2023/24, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Entering the offseason, the young center’s contract for the upcoming season was partially guaranteed for $600K. That guarantee increased to $1.2MM when New York kept him on the roster last month. Sims’ salary will officially be fully guaranteed if he remains on the Knicks’ roster past August 20.

The move was expected. The 24-year-old was a fill-in starter at times during his second NBA season in 2022/23, averaging 3.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG across 52 games (16 starts, 15.6 MPG).

The 58th pick of the 2021 draft, Sims initially signed a two-way deal with the Knicks, but received a promotion last summer to a multiyear standard contract after impressing the team. New York holds a team option on Sims’ contract for ’24/25 worth $2.1MM.

Sims is currently recovering from right shoulder surgery, which prevented him from participating during the Knicks’ playoff run. He’s expected to be fully recovered by training camp.

As our roster count shows, the Knicks are currently at the offseason maximum of 21 players under contract. They now have 12 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with all three two-way slots filled.

Atlantic Notes: Udofia, Raptors, White, Porzingis, Knicks

August 1st, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s NBA G League affiliate, have named Mfon Udofia as head coach, according to a league press release. Brooklyn’s intent to hire Udofia for the G League club was previously reported.

“We’re pleased to welcome Mfon to the Nets family,” Long Island Nets GM J.R. Holden said. “His passion for the game and dynamic coaching style have prepared him to lead our development team on Long Island. Our organization is excited to support Mfon and his staff as they lead the next generation of talent this upcoming season.”

Udofia spent last season as an assistant coach with the Ontario Clippers in the G League. He had prior stints with several other NBAGL franchises.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Raptors may not be done dealing, but The Athletic’s Eric Koreen examines how the rotation might shake out if the roster remains unchanged. Koreen believes either Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes must be on the court at all times for play-making purposes and either OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. need to be on the floor for shooting purposes. He also doesn’t see lottery pick Gradey Dick as a member of a nine-man rotation, given the team’s other commitments.
With Derrick White the undisputed starting point man with the Celtics, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss breaks down how a pick-and-roll partnership between White and Kristaps Porzingis can unlock the team’s full offensive potential.
Miles McBride, Jericho Sims or Isaiah Roby could force their way into the Knicks’ rotation, The Athletic’s Fred Katz writes, though if coach Tom Thibodeau goes with his usual nine-man rotation, minutes will be hard to come by for that trio. Katz looks at various lineup combinations and which starter might play with the second unit when the usual four reserves are on the floor.

Atlantic Notes: DiVincenzo, Sims, Nowell, Reed

July 16th, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry praised the Knicks’ free agent signing of former Golden State shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“He knows how to play the game,” Curry said. “You can tell he won at the highest level in college. The Knicks got a good one and I’m happy that he got his fair share of that CBA, too. So it was good.”

DiVincenzo joined the Knicks earlier this month on a four-year, $47MM contract that far exceeded what the Warriors were able to offer him. Across his 72 healthy regular season contests with Golden State last season, the 6’4″ wing averaged 9.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.5 APG.

“He’s all about basketball, he’s all about winning,” Curry said. “He’s good on both sides of the ball. He can play-make better than most people probably realize. So he fills a lot of holes on teams. And he’s not selfish in the respect of — I know he wants to start and be that guy, but he also understands where the value can be created on a team no matter what role you’re asked to do. And he bought in right away. And he got rewarded for it.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Knicks reserve center Jericho Sims will not be cut by the team prior to today’s salary guarantee deadline, tweets Fred Katz of The Athletic. The $600K partial guarantee on Sims’ contract for 2023/24 will increase to $1.2MM after today; his full minimum-salary deal will become guaranteed if he remains under contract through August 20, which should be a lock.
Raptors rookie two-way guard Markquis Nowell is striving to become the latest undersized guard to succeed in Toronto, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. As Smith notes, the 5’8″ Nowell is looking to former shorter-statured Toronto guards Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Muggsy Bogues and Damon Stoudamire for inspiration on his NBA journey. “They’re (people) I studied growing up, knowing that I wasn’t going to be a bigger guard,” he said of the likes of ex-Raptors Stoudamire and Bogues. “I kind of had to study them, study how they stood in the league, how they impacted the game at this level. Anyone I can learn from, I do.”
Newly re-signed Sixers backup center Paul Reed took to The John Kincade Show on Philadelphia’s 97.5 FM The Fanatic to discuss his restricted free agency and eventual return to the club. The 6’9″ big man inked a three-year, $23MM offer sheet with the Jazz, which the Sixers opted to match. “I’m glad they [were] able to match the offer,” Reed said (hat tip to Ky Carlin of USA Today for the transcription). “The goal this offseason is to keep developing and keep finding ways to get better. I know I got an opportunity this year to play a little 4. Especially, with [new head coach] Nick Nurse. Just working on stretching the floor, driving out the corners, just little things like that.”