Getty Julius Randle reacts to a foul called during a December 30 game against the Indiana Pacers.
Following a conference semifinals elimination, the New York Knicks head back to the drawing board, with Julius Randle‘s future atop the questions in need of answering.
If the Knicks decide to move on from the three-time All-Star this summer, they’ll have to find a trade partner.
BetOnline released odds on May 22 for Randle’s next team, should New York choose to trade him, and the list of teams is, uninspiring.
BetOnline sent out odds for Julius Randle’s next team and boy this is a bad list
The Washington Wizards are the betting favorite, with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Toronto Raptors making up the top-four. All are teams that finished the regular season with an under .500 record.
Randle played just 46 games in the regular season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that sidelined him for the playoffs. He’s got one guaranteed year left on the four-year, $117-million deal he signed in 2021.
New York was 29-17 in the games he played in 2023-2024, good for a 51-win pace in an 82-game season. Randle averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists in his fifth-campaign with the Knicks.
But all indicators out of the Big Apple are that the team is sticking with the All-Star forward.
Katz: New York ‘Not Trying’ to Trade Randle
It would appear all the scuttlebutt related to a potential Randle trade derives from sources outside of New York.
Because by all accounts, the Knicks are making it clear they’re not actively shopping Randle in the upcoming offseason.
But because he has one guaranteed year left on his deal, there’s a window to sign an extension that begins on August 3. The possibility that a deal isn’t reached has opened the door to speculation.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on a May 20 episode of “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV that teams are keeping an eye on the situation.
“Julius Randle, he’s got a player option for 2024-2025,” Charania said on a May 20 episode of “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV. “Teams are monitoring the situation for sure because how they handle that extension situation, if that is a conversation, what transpires I think that will be interesting. Because you think about movable assets, salaries, obviously Julius Randle has got the number if you are to make a big, big trade.”
That said, Fred Katz of The Athletic reported that New York has little desire to trade the All-Star forward.
“The Knicks are not trying to trade Randle,” Katz wrote on May 24. “But they recognize that their quest for a star could require having to do so. If a suitable target does not pop up this summer, then they could turn their eyes to the 2025 trade deadline, hoping to land one then.”
Desires for Randle to remain in New York aren’t limited to the Knicks front office.
Garnett Rips Stephen A. Smith for Randle Take
On a May 20 episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith asked Kevin Garnett if New York needs to invest in another number one option.
As he was answering, Smith voiced that he does not view Randle as that caliber a player. Garnett was fiery with his response.
“What is Randle? Man, Julius Randle is a 25 and 10 guy in this league,” Garnett told Smith. “You tripping. And he grew his game with the three ball. Man, y’all tripping on Julius Randle. Julius Randle is one of the harder guards. And he’s left handed, he has a three ball, he can play make.”
New York ran into a number of issues in the 2024 playoffs. Randle being sidelined is near top of the list. But is that reason to trade 29-year old All-Star forward?
The rest of the league will be watching as the Knicks decide.
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