New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle has been labeled as a trade candidate for the Charlotte Hornets as the offseason draws on.
Randle has been the most talked about Knicks player on the trade rumor mill all summer long. He put up 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists in the 2023-24 campaign that saw him earn another All-Star nod. On the same token, he missed the final 36 games of the year due to a dislocated shoulder injury.
The recent addition of Mikal Bridges poses questions as to whether Randle will fit with the new-look roster next season. There is a team that has the pieces to rightly compensate the Knicks for their No. 2 option, as one NBA writer outlined recently.
Knicks: Julius Randle tied to the Charlotte Hornets in trade speculations
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus floated the question of whether or not the Charlotte Hornets would be wise to enquire about Randle in a trade for their star forward Miles Bridges and whether or not they would view the Kentucky product as a worthy option to circumnavigate the challenges that come with their market (h/t Jeremy Brener of New York Knicks on SI):
“It is challenging to get a read on the Hornets with Jeff Peterson taking over in March,” Pincus writes. “He paid $75 million to keep [Miles] Bridges for three years. Was that a commitment, or was Peterson trying to turn Bridges around in trade? Will the team continue to build slowly through the draft? Charlotte isn’t known as a free-agent destination. Would the chance to land an All-Star like Julius Randle be a leap worth making?”
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Miles Bridges would fit well with the new-look Knicks if traded for Randle
Hornets forward Miles Bridges was labeled by both Pincus and Brener as an ideal centerpiece in a trade for Randle. The talented combo forward possesses many of the offensive skills that Randle has, including an ability to space the floor, use his size to get to the rim when driving downhill and finish through contact. The difference is that Bridges is much more athletic as a high-flyer, while Randle has more chops as a distributor.
The Hornets would likely have to include another piece into any deal involving both players, as Randle owns more accolades and playoff success than the Michigan State product. Bridges is past the scandal that kept him away from the court for the entire 2022-23 season, and could be a welcomed addition to a Knicks team that would benefit from playing faster next time out.
His usage rate and ability to catch and shoot better than Randle would allow for the Knicks to distribute shots between himself, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby more harmoniously behind All-Star Jalen Brunson. Bridges connected on 38.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot looks from distance compared to Randle’s 35.4 percent clip.
It remains to be seen what the Knicks will do with their former franchise player before the 2024-25 NBA trade deadline, but if Charlotte is willing to deal Bridge down the line, that could be an attractive deal for New York’s front office to consider.
