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Report: Henry Sims Considering NBA Summer League Team Invite From Knicks

With NBA teams scouting out young talent to play for their Summer League squads, the Knicks have reportedly reached out to D-League All-Star Henry Sims.

By Keith Schlosser
Mitchell Layton

With just four teams remaining in the NBA playoffs, most executives have steadily been shifting gears towards scouting young talent through various draft prospect and/or free agent workouts.

A big opportunity to further assess such talent and get a closer look at the most promising of young guns will be this coming July during NBA Summer League.

Though squads will undoubtedly be posed to reel in some faces that peak their curiosities, expect some familiar ones to be invited back into the fold as well. Summer League, like training camp does later in the fall, provides teams with a chance to get a second look at players who didn't quite make the cut the first time around.

With that in mind, the Knicks have reportedly reached out to Henry Sims with an invite to play for their squad in Las Vegas this summer, according to ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling.

Professionally speaking, Sims was last seen playing basketball in the Philippines earlier in the spring. The big man was leading the the Knicks' NBA D-League team, the Erie BayHawks, towards a playoff spot in the season's final weeks. But with Erie fighting for the eighth and final spot, Sims opted to venture overseas with just one weekend of games remaining in the BayHawks' season. Without him, the team couldn't do enough to squeeze into the playoffs.

Had he stayed and ultimately helped propel Erie towards a postseason bid, there's no doubt Sims would have garnered more serious consideration for the NBADL's "Rookie of the Year" award. The big man averaged 16.4 points (on 50% shooting from the field), 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks though 41 contests on his way to also emerging as a minor league all-star.

During training camp last fall, Sims caught the Knicks' eye by displaying physicality and a gritty defensive effort. He has quick hands that can often pester opponents into giving up the ball, and his long arms aid him in protecting the paint. Had the Knicks not opted to keep Rasheed Wallace on board, it's likely Sims would have snuck onto the roster. With plenty of roster spots up for grabs this offseason, perhaps the Georgetown alum is once again a worthy candidate.

In addition to the BayHawks, Sims also played for the Hornets (turned Pelicans) last season.