Getty Knicks star Julius Randle
When it comes to Knicks power forward Julius Randle, the playoffs were always going to be a mixed bag. Randle has bene out since January with a shoulder injury, and his absence was either going to show itself, big-time, in the playoffs, or it was going to be an afterthought. Either way, it would have an impact on how the roster is viewed inside the halls of MSG and around the NBA.
On one hand, if the Knicks flamed out without Randle, it would show that the team needs him and could amp up pressure to sign him to an extension. On the other hand, if the Knicks played well without him, it might increase the pressure to trade him.
In the end, it was other injuries that sank the Knicks, who really were fine without Randle. Maybe that means he could be traded. But his absence did not do much to help his value around the NBA.
Back in April, an Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports, “There is going to be a lot of pressure on them to move him, no matter what they do in the playoffs. If they win without him, then they do not need him. If they lose without him then they need to make big changes, and he’s really the only tool they have to make a big change.”
One day after the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in Game 7, he said, “They might be under more pressure now.”
Julius Randle a Tough Fit on Some NBA Rosters
Problem is, Randle is never going to be an easy guy to trade. His numbers are solid, and his approach and attitude have been exemplary. It’s not like he is a bad apple. It’s just that he is a ball-dominant big man who is not a great athlete and isn’t an efficient scorer. Randle works best when things run through Randle. But the Knicks work best running through Jalen Brunson.
Randle has good numbers, and has been posting those since he arrived in New York as a free agent in 2019. Before the shoulder injury, Randle was averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists, but was shooting 47.2%/31.1% from the 3-point line.
But the sense around Randle is that he does not easily fill a role—a team must adjust its offense too much to suit him. He just wrapped up the second year of a four-year, $117 million contract, and is eligible for another extension from the Knicks.
Knicks Do Not Want a Salary Dump
The Knicks could move Randle in a salary dump, as New York could attach a late first-round pick and send Randle to a team that could absorb his salary. But those are hard to find these days—it was mainly Oklahoma City’s purview in the last few years, but the rebuild has ended there. Besides, the Knicks don’t see Randle as a guy they need to dump.
“They’re not going to do that, they do not see him as a salary-dump kind of guy,” one Western Conference exec said. “I mean, he is a good player. He was an All-Star (this year). So you can’t say you’re just going to give away an All-Star. But if you want to trade him, you have to find a place and there are not a lot of places that make sense for him.”
Still, the Knicks need the space. They’re facing the very real prospect of paying the luxury tax for the first time in a decade, assuming they pay forward OG Anunoby (who can be a free agent) and, possibly, Isaiah Hartenstein. If they are willing to pay the tax and they want to upgrade the roster with a star coming in, it almost certainly would have to include Randle going out.
Figuring what to do with Randle was a tricky proposition before the playoffs. It’s only gotten trickier.