During the 2020-21 season, Julius Randle won the Most Improved Player award after averaging 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG, while shooting 41.1% from beyond the arc. He also got his first All-Star appearance and led the New York Knicks to the playoffs.
This year though, Julius Randle’s performances have gotten worse. He is currently averaging 18.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 5.0 APG, all lower than last season. His shooting has also gotten drastically worse, as he is only shooting 30.7% from the 3PT range.
Amidst his poor season this year, it seems as though there is a possibility that the New York Knicks will elect to move on from Julius Randle. In his recent article, Ian Begley of SNY revealed that “Julius Randle would be available for the right return”.
Just like all other teams, New York’s management will take and make plenty of calls over the next two weeks to gauge the market.
It’s worth noting that one team in touch with a member of the organization recently is under the impression that Julius Randle would be available for the right return.
The Knicks and Randle agreed to a four-year extension prior to the season. But the idea that his name would come up in trade discussions shouldn’t be a surprise.
There is no doubt that the New York Knicks have had a disappointing year. They are currently sitting in the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 23-26 record. It is still possible that they will make the play-in tournament and make the postseason via that route, but the Knicks simply haven’t been as good this year as they were last season.
It remains to be seen if the New York Knicks will in fact trade Julius Randle. They have been linked with Pacers guard Caris LeVert earlier this month, so it is possible that they’re in fact looking to add talent to the roster to try and compete for the rest of the season. With that being said, Julius Randle is clearly not untradeable for the team and perhaps the franchise will find a Randle trade that suits the team’s needs in the future.
