The clock is ticking, with the NBA world zooming toward Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. The New York Knicks are in a unique position, winning seven of their last eight games and receiving a positive injury update about Mitchell Robinson on Monday.
Something that stood out from New York's previous two wins over Houston on Monday and Toronto on Tuesday is Ariel Hukporti playing rotation minutes. Tom Thibodeau subbed the rookie in during the first quarter in the win over the Raptors. He finished with six points (3-of-3) and five rebounds in 19 minutes. Jericho Sims played less than a minute in both games.
Fans have called for Hukporti to play over Sims all season long. The rookie still has a lot to learn, but it's hard for him to do so from the bench. Nobody expects him to play 20 minutes every night, but for a team that needs frontcourt depth (at least until Robinson returns), Hukporti can help. Sims has been in New York since he was drafted in 2021, and he hasn't proven he should be a rotation player.
What does that mean for the Knicks? Well, a trade should be on the horizon. Sims will be an unrestricted free agent over the summer, and re-signing him certainly isn't close to being necessary for New York.
Jericho Sims' time with the Knicks could be coming to an end
On Tuesday, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that Sims has "drawn interest" from teams including the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks.
Sims' value is a second-round pick or two. At this rate, it's better for New York to get something in return for him rather than let him walk in free agency.
The Knicks are in a tricky position, though. Robinson was cleared for contact on Monday, but that doesn't mean he'll make his regular-season debut soon. He hasn't played in an NBA game since last May, before he underwent ankle surgery. It will take some time for his conditioning to get up to speed.
Robinson's name has also been mentioned in rumors. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported that league sources believe New York is "open" to trading the center. That may have changed since Mitch got the all-clear from his doctor. Or maybe the Knicks plan to offload Sims' expiring contract and acquire additional frontcourt depth.
The good news is that fans don't have to wait much longer to know the Knicks' plan (part of which should include trading Sims).