As the Milwaukee Bucks still look to figure out their roster crunch ahead of the NBA season, they have several players who can be flipped for assets. The Los Angeles Lakers have been in the headlines all summer long for a variety of reasons; their new-look team still needs some big man depth, and Jericho Sims is a perfect candidate for them, according to the New York Post's Khobi Price.
Sims to the Lakers makes perfect sense
Nick Richards' signing with the Heat does leave the center free agent market extremely thin. The realistic options are Doncic's former teammate Dwight Powell, Drew Eubanks, and Bismack Biyombo.
This is where Sims may be of interest to them. LA does not have much in the way of draft capital, which leaves them in a tricky spot to pull off any huge moves. Sims accepted his player option worth $2.8 million, so all it may take is one of the few remaining second-round picks the Lakers have to get the deal over the line, with the center's deal expiring.
The Lakers have struggled to fill the frontcourt hole left by Anthony Davis in the Luka Doncic trade. Deandre Ayton showed flashes of why he is a former number one overall pick, but not enough. This summer, they gave Walker Kessler a monster deal to be the five-man moving forward, with former Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili also being added via free agency as the likely starting power forward.
Kevon Looney is there on a minimum, but Sims' athleticism and lob threat would be the perfect fit for Doncic. His defensive versatility is also much-needed for the Lakers, whose roster makeup hasn't quite solved that issue just yet.
For Sims, he's behind Myles Turner and Kel'el Ware in the Bucks' rotation right now, and the Lakers would offer him a bigger role.
Other Bucks that could be moved
Turner is another name who could be moved, with his ability to stretch the floor at the five and defense being of interest to teams. Kyle Kuzma is another veteran on one of the more expensive Bucks contracts and could bring back some decent draft capital.
The backcourt is overflowing, so there are options there. Tyler Herro is up for an extension, but the Bucks could move him ahead of the season. Kevin Porter Jr. is on an expiring deal, Caris LeVert is the odd man out in the guard group, and even AJ Green could be moved, with his sharpshooting ability being something teams are always looking to add.
Milwaukee sits at 17 standard contracts, needing to move pieces to get down to the 15 maximum spots. Sims is a useful depth option, but Pete Nance and Ousmane Dieng can offer small-ball center options if Taylor Jenkins opts to go that way.
There is a plethora of moves the Bucks could make before the season starts. Moving Sims would allow them to bring in an extra draft pick without having to give up anything substantial. It's only a matter of time before we see how the front office navigates this roster crunch.
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