The New York Knicks have an interesting contract situation with their All-Star power forward Julius Randle. The two sides have yet to agree on an extension since he became eligible for one last month, and there is a chance that he will become an unrestricted free agent next summer if a deal isn’t reached before then.
Massive mock trade has the Knicks trading Julius Randle to the Miami Heat
Therefore, the idea of trading Randle to get important assets in return for a valuable piece is not as forlorn as it may have once appeared. Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell proposed a three-team mock trade with the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat that would see the Knicks move Randle for a load of assets to continue building a contender around superstar Jalen Brunson, which reads as follows:
Hawks get: Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Mitchell Robinson
Knicks get: Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, 2025 1st round pick (Via Sacramento, protected 1-12), 2026 2nd round pick (via LAL), and a Top-10 protected 2029 1st round pick from Miami
Heat get: Julius Randle, Larry Nance, Keita Bates-Diop, and Garrison Matthews
The Knicks would not benefit greatly from doing this deal
This trade has a lot of moving parts, with several starting players being dealt to new teams. Randle would be the centerpiece in this deal as he is the best player out of the collective of guys being moved. The Knicks are within reason to at least explore Randle’s market, as they lack center depth behind Mitchell Robinson and are a fairly incomplete roster.
However, this particular mock may simply have too many moving parts for it to make sense for New York. Adding Capela and Hunter immediately provides depth at core positions, but it comes at the cost of their starting frontcourt, making it at best a lateral move but one that can also be viewed as a downgrade in an effort to save money.
The Knicks also don’t need to add more draft capital, as they still have plenty of draft picks that can be moved even after sending six first-rounders away in the Mikal Bridges deal. Caudell noted the lack of desire for draft picks as a reason why New York wouldn’t take this deal if it were to be proposed:
“The picks are nice, but the Knicks are a team that wants to win now. Does this deal make them better than Boston or Philly? You could argue they are better off keeping Randle,” Caudell wrote.
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Randle is one of the Knicks’ most important players
Randle’s importance to the Knicks can’t be overlooked. He is undoubtedly the team’s second-best player and is responsible for the turnaround of the franchise from its dark days. Over the past four seasons, he has made the All-Star team three times and been named to an All-NBA team twice.
Last season, he missed the entire second half and the playoffs with a shoulder injury that later required surgery after an attempted rehab failed. His absence was a big reason why the team came up short in the postseason, and he will look to be a key piece to a team that is set to be one of the best in the league this upcoming season.
As the season progresses, Randle’s value on the market could change. While it is unlikely that they would move him during the regular season, how he performs with the new look to the roster could determine his fate following this upcoming season.
