The Knicks made an anticipated move by unloading Jericho Sims in a small deal Wednesday, sending the backup center to the Milwaukee Bucks for veteran guard Delon Wright, a league source confirmed.
The Knicks had been shopping Sims for more than a month, as The Post first reported, and facilitated the deal for a new location for the 26-year-old after he was dropped from Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
Wright, 32, played 26 games this season for the Bucks.
He’s a 10-year vet who is joining his 10th team.
A source said the Knicks plan to keep Wright for now.
He’s on a guaranteed deal with a specialty on defense as a 6-foot-5 combo guard.
Jericho Sims slams a dunk down in the preseason. Noah K. Murray-NY Post
He also played with both OG Anunoby in Toronto and Jalen Brunson in Dallas.
Still, Wright has struggled this season with his shot, hitting just 27 percent of his shots from the field.
He could theoretically compete for a rotation spot at a thin wing position for the Knicks, who have used Landry Shamet in a reserve role but not consistently.
Delon Wright is coming to the Knicks in the trade. NBAE via Getty Images
Sims was among the longest-tenured Knicks after being drafted late in the 2021 second round. He started intermittently with injuries to Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Karl-Anthony Towns.
However, his role was also sporadic amid offensive struggles.
He went from the first backup center to DNPs, falling behind Precious Achiuwa and even rookie Ariel Hukporti in recent games.
Sims, a former Slam Dunk contestant, averaged 2.4 points and 3.9 rebounds on 72 percent shooting over 177 games with the Knicks.
A source said he was looking forward to a fresh start.
The trade also recouped cash considerations for New York.
Jericho Sims is going to the Bucks in a trade Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Random draft rights were also swapped, which has become a hallmark of recent Knicks trades and typically means nothing because the players don’t make it to the NBA.
The Knicks gave up the rights to Mathias Lessort for the rights to Hugo Besson, a league source said.
Besson, a 23-year-old guard from France, was drafted into the NBA at No. 58 overall in 2022.
