Unicaja seeks to strengthen the paint area with Yankuba Sima

The Unicaja de Málaga faces a season where the need for interior reinforcement is evident. With only two key centers like Willy Hernangómez and David Kravish, the Málaga team has scoured the market for weeks without finding the right solution. Now, a known option has emerged on the horizon: Yankuba Sima, who currently plays for Valencia Basket and could return to Málaga just three months after leaving the city.

The opportunity that Mirotic opens in Valencia

The scenario that allows Sima's arrival at Unicaja originated nine days ago. The inclusion of Nikola Mirotic in Valencia increased the number of nationally registered players in the orange roster to six, one more than the five established by ACB regulations. This administrative imbalance has completely changed the equation for the Senegalese center.

With this margin covered in regulatory aspects, keeping Sima in the club is no longer an administrative necessity. Reports indicate that if Jasiel Rivero remains in Valencia, as suggested, the Levante team would be willing to listen to proposals for the interior player. This willingness is precisely what has sparked Málaga's interest in bringing back a player who is already familiar with the project.

A secondary history in Valencia

Sima's performance during his time in Valencia has been marginal. In the Endesa League, he averaged just 3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, figures that reflect his limited role in the orange team. His involvement in EuroLeague was equally modest: in six games played, he accumulated an average of 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds.

Under the orders of Pedro Martínez, Sima occupied the last position in the interior rotation, which explains why his departure does not pose a sports problem for Valencia. This marginal role contrasts with what Unicaja expects to obtain, where the need for physical presence in the paint is obvious and urgent. This shortcoming was evident in the preseason loss against Real Madrid, where the Madrid team imposed their interior superiority completely at Carpena.

The return home after three months

Unicaja's interest in Sima has dual justification: emotional and sporting. The center wore the Málaga jersey for three seasons, from 2022 to 2025, before moving to Valencia this past summer. His departure was recent, making his potential return just three months later unusual but viable.

Trained in U.S. college basketball, with stints at St. John's and Oklahoma State, Sima knows the Málaga project, its internal dynamics, and the competitive demands of the Endesa League. This factor facilitates a potential quick reintegration without the need for prolonged adaptation periods. The player has already experienced the club's working style and his teammates, which could accelerate his integration if the operation materializes.

Unicaja's physical need

The Málaga club has a structural deficiency that was exposed during the preseason matches. In the loss against Real Madrid at Carpena, the score of 74-113 reflected an uncomfortable reality: the opponents' interior physical superiority was absolute. Since then, Unicaja's sports management has been seeking a presence capable of competing in the paint with the best teams in the competition.

Sima, despite his modest numbers in Valencia, possesses the physical characteristics that Unicaja requires. His defensive presence and ability to occupy interior space could provide that cushion of solidity missing from the Málaga team. The Endesa League is a competition where interior physical intensity determines a large part of the matches, and having two reliable centers like Hernangómez and Kravish, plus a third with presence, would represent an important qualitative leap.

The operation will depend on Valencia confirming their willingness to negotiate and both parties reaching a viable economic agreement. What is certain is that Unicaja continues to seek solutions to a problem they have identified as a priority to compete reliably in the current season.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Unicaja busca reforzar la pintura con Yankuba Sima