The new NBA season is on, and the teams that know they have a realistic shot at making some noise in the playoffs this season are already looking at ways to get better. The expectations have been subverted quite a bit in some cases, but for the most part, teams like the Celtics, Bucks, Suns, and Mavericks are doing as well as they were expected to.
One team that has been consistently middle of the pack so far is the 8-8 New York Knicks. The Knicks had a bad season in 2021-22 after making it to the playoffs the year before, and a lot of it was thanks to how poor their star Julius Randle was. There were rumors that he would be traded in the offseason, but that never ended up happening, also because some thought his value was too low. But that seems to be changing now.
Julius Randle’s Value Is Reportedly Increasing, According To An NBA Executive
Julius Randle is averaging better numbers through his first 16 games than he did last season. And more importantly, his efficiency has picked up once again. Randle is scoring over 21 points per game and shooting about 47% from the field and 34% from three-point range. An anonymous executive told Heavy’s Sean Deveney that Randle’s value around the league is going up noticeably from where it was before.
“They’re better now (trade value) because they have taken the ball out of his hands more, he has less pressure on him,” the executive told Deveney when analyzing Randle’s value and performance on the season. “He can worry about rebounding and shooting. He does not have to worry about everything.
“He’s shooting it better, so that helps, and every time a year comes off that contract, he gets more valuable–so, at the end of the year, he might be that much more worth a trade. The big thing is defense. That holds him back.”
Several teams might consider moving for a player like Randle, mainly the Dallas Mavericks. They need a second star alongside Luka Doncic and are being linked to the likes of Zach LaVine, among others. Even though Randle struggled last season and at times before in his career, he can still thrive in the right system, and perhaps his improved performances will see him get another move that helps him kick-start his career once again.
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