Suns Among Betting Favorites to Acquire $117 Million All-Star

Getty Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes

The Phoenix Suns are one of the betting favorites to land an All-Star power forward.

According to Sportsbetting.ag, the Suns have the third-best odds (+400) to acquire New York Knicks star Julius Randle. The 28-year-old averaged 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season while shooting 45.9% from the field, 34.3% from beyond the arc and 75.7% from the free-throw line.

The Knicks, just like the Suns, lost in the conference semifinals. New York fell to the Miami Heat in six games, while Phoenix lost to the Denver Nuggets in six games. Monty Williams was fired as head coach by the Suns, who are under new ownership. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that new Suns owner Mat Ishbia made the decision to fire Williams immediately after Game 6 versus the Nuggets.

Randle signed a four-year, $117.1 million extension with the Knicks in August 2021. The Kentucky product will make $25.6 million next season and $27.6 million in 2024-25.

Stephen A. Smith Wants the Knicks to Trade Julius Randle

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wants the Knicks to trade Randle this summer. Smith is a huge fan of the Knickerbockers.

“Julius Randle, I am done with this man,” Smith said on May 12. “I’m calling for the New York Knicks to trade him. You’re not going to win with him. His body language, the second his shot is not falling, he’s defeated and it has contagious effect. It’s like a virus that hits everybody. … Julius Randle is not the answer. Trade him. He needs to go. Because every postseason, this is what he does, and that’s the way that it is.”

Randle averaged 16.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in the 2023 playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Heat while shooting 37.4% overall and 25.8% from 3-point land. The lefty shot only 3-of-14 from the floor in Game 6 versus the Heat in South Beach.

Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are the top options on offense for the Suns. It’s possible Randle could be more effective in Phoenix since he would be the third option and wouldn’t have so much pressure on him to perform as he does in New York.

Report: The Suns Are Likely to Bring Back Chris Paul

The Suns are likely to guarantee the full salary of Chris Paul for the 2023-24 season, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Paul signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Suns in August 2021.

“Paul, 38, is only guaranteed $15.8 million of his $30.8 million wage if he were to be waived by the June 28 deadline,” Haynes wrote. “Phoenix still maintains some flexibility with the decision, but the franchise is currently of the mindset that Paul will open up next season as the team’s starting point guard, sources say.”

Paul appeared in 59 games this season for the Suns. He averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists while shooting 44.0% from the field, 37.5% from beyond the arc and 83.1% from the free-throw line. The future Hall of Famer suffered a groin injury in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Nuggets and missed the rest of the series.

Paul averaged 12.4 points and 7.4 assists in the 2023 postseason while shooting 41.8% overall and 32.1% from 3-point land.