The New York Knicks may have a route to trading away three-time All-Star Julius Randle after all.
Randle has been the backbone of the Knicks since joining the team in 2019. He’s led the Knicks to two playoff appearances in 2021 and again in 2023, before passing the torch to fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson as the Knicks’ franchise player last season.
Taking a backseat to Brunson has come part in parcel with many of his flaws and shortcomings while in a Knicks jersey being pushed to the forefront by the media at large. The Kentucky product has received a mixed bag of support and criticism from the NBA world amid his name floating in trade rumors all offseason, but one analyst stated point blank just how tradable Randle really is.
Julius Randle’s Knicks exit seems imminent no matter which way the pendulum swings
As a recent guest on “The Hoop Collective” podcast, ESPN NBA analyst Brian Windhorst had this to say about Randle’s contract situation and how it’ll be easy for the Knicks’ front office to move him this season (h/t Bleacher Report’s Jack Murray):
“Because of that $29 million salary, he is extraordinarily tradable,” Windhorst said. “The Knicks still do have a couple of first-round picks that they can move.”
“His value, if he is 100% is more than that,” Windhorst said. “There is no reason why if he is playing at the top of his game, why he shouldn’t seriously consider opting out of that.”
How Randle’s fit with the new-look Knicks will determine his future in New York
The 29-year-old has a $30.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season as well, but with the way this offseason has transpired, coupled with recent trade acquisition Mikal Bridges being a new threat to his secondary role in the Knicks’ offense, Randle could find himself on the outs with New York sooner rather than later.
He last gave Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau 24 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and five APG in 2023-24. Those numbers will help New York find potential suitors in the trade market, especially if his production next season falls in accordance with it, or close to it, while the Knicks continue winning games.
It’s still likely that the Texas native sees his time on the trade mill blow over should New York tear through the East by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Nevertheless, if they don’t find themselves in a favorable position in the standings by then, and Randle’s play testifies him to be a culprit, a trade may be imminent.
