Julius Randle was an All-Star for the New York Knicks during the 2020-21 season, bringing the team to the playoffs as a 4th seed. Randle was well-known for his versatility on the offensive end that year, being able to knock down shots from range but also thriving when playing bully-ball on the interior.
During the 2021-22 season, though, Julius Randle had a down year, and the New York Knicks were not close to making the playoffs. He was inefficient and seemed like a shell of the player he was during the 2020-21 season.
Due to his poor performance, many people have suggested that the New York Knicks should find a way to move Julius Randle. Earlier in the summer, it was reported that the team was exploring moves involving the power forward. New York Knicks insider Fred Katz of The Athletic has recently revealed that while the Knicks will listen to offers on Julius Randle, they are unwilling to attach first-round picks to any deal just to move Randle’s contract.
I can’t speak for all 30 teams. Maybe there is a front office I haven’t heard about that is seeking out Randle. But if there were, I would be surprised. It’s not like the Knicks are clinging onto him. If you call them about Randle, they’re listening to your offer.
If I tuned out of NBA news for a month, returned to learn that the Knicks had traded Randle and had to guess what the trade was, I’d assume they swapped him for another expensive contract — a milder version of all these supermax-for-supermax trades we’ve seen over the past few years. The four remaining seasons on Randle’s deal have made teams, even ones who believe last season wasn’t representative of who he is, hesitant about acquiring him. The Knicks, meanwhile, haven’t been willing to attach a first-rounder or two to send him elsewhere.
There is obviously a chance that Julius Randle bounces back and has another All-Star level season next year. We have often seen players who had poor seasons work to refine their game and improve even further, leading to better production in the future.
However, it is clear that the New York Knicks are willing to move on from the power forward if that doesn’t mean giving up too much. We will see if they are able to find a deal to move Julius Randle prior to the start of the season, but as of right now, it seems as though there is no team that is directly interested in acquiring him.
