Knicks ‘Must Consider’ Trade That Lands 2 NBA Champs for Julius Randle

Getty Julius Randle could be out in New York.

The New York Knicks have their lottery selection and they will be picked 11th in the upcoming NBA Draft.

This marks yet another year where the team failed to improve their draft position, but there are plenty of other ways to make upgrades outside of simply choosing somebody from the college ranks.

Another area the Knicks could decide to his is the trade market, and the offseason is a good time to do that since there tends to be a lot more cap space available in the offseason when compared to during the season.

There are a variety of different trades out there the Knicks could pursue, and there was one in particular that Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes believed the team should’ve considered in the event they won the lottery. While that didn’t happen for them, it’s still a trade worth looking at because there are a lot of fans out there who’d like to see the team move on from Julius Randle.

Trade With the Wizards

Getty ImagesKyle Kuzma of the Washington Wizards.

The Washington Wizards appear to be far away from title contention, but a trade for former All-Star Julius Randle to pair with Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis could get them back on the right track.

Here’s a look at what Hughes proposed:

• New York Knicks Receive: Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
• Washington Wizards Receive: Julius Randle, top-10 protected 2023 first-round pick (via Dallas Mavericks), 2023 second-round pick

This trade would land the Knicks two former champions from the Lakers and give them some much-desired shooting, and it’d also get rid of Randle and his big contract extension.

Hughes argues this could be a win for both sides.

If New York wins the lottery, it should keep the pick, grab one of the three big-name forwards and dump Randle to open up playing time,” he wrote. “The Knicks should target a trade partner that might need to add one star to keep another happy. The Wizards can re-sign Bradley Beal to a massive five-year, $242 million deal in July. Maybe bringing in Randle to pair with Beal and Kristaps Porzingis on draft night would seal the deal.”

Although winning the lottery didn’t happen for the Knicks, freeing up a lot of money isn’t exactly a bad thing for the team, especially if they don’t believe Randle will be able to recapture his All-NBA form.

Knicks Have Options

GettyRJ Barrett is still improving.

With Randles contract ballooning, they might not find many suitors willing to take it on. This would mean they have to stand pat with what they have, so they’d have to hope he just had an off year.

Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley can all take steps forward, and that would do wonders for the team. Barrett just turned out his best season as a pro yet, and he’s been flashing some All-Star talent. He’ll need to become more efficient with his shooting to truly be a star, but the signs are there.

It’s not clear what Mitchell Robinson will do in the offseason, but if the Knicks can bring him back on an affordable deal, there’s no reason to suspect they won’t.

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