July 9: Sims’ new deal with the Bucks is official, the team announced in a press release.
July 1: Jericho Sims will return to the Bucks on a two-year contract, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). He’ll have a player option on the second season of the deal.
The 26-year-old big man appeared in 14 games, all off the bench, after being acquired from New York in a four-team trade at the deadline. He averaged 2.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 15 minutes per night with Milwaukee.
Terms of the new deal weren’t released, but Sims will get at least a modest raise over the $2MM he made in the final season of the three-year contract he signed with the Knicks. His minimum salary this season will be $2.46MM.
New York selected Sims with the 58th pick in 2021, but he was in and out of coach Tom Thibodeau‘s rotation during his three and a half years with the team. He has a chance to claim a larger role in his first full season with Milwaukee, possibly as the primary backup for newly acquired center Myles Turner.
The Bucks have been active since free agency began, waiving and stretching Damian Lillard to create cap room for Turner, re-signing free agents Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince and trading Pat Connaughton to Charlotte in exchange for Vasilije Micic.
Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst approached the offseason determined to put together a contender to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from asking for a trade and has been very aggressive in the first 24 hours of the new league year.