Getty Julius Randle's days in a Knicks jersey could be numbered.
The New York Knicks are currently the 12th seed as of November 29 sitting at 9-11 on the season.
While they were only expected to be a play-in team this season, newly acquired point guard Jalen Brunson believes they can be more. He missed a game winner against the Memphis Grizzlies, a game they eventually lost in overtime, and he put that blame on his shoulders.
“My teammates and coaches have a lot of trust in me and they’ve welcomed me with open arms,” Brunson said. “That hurts when I can’t pull through for them. That hurts.”
Jalen Brunson: “My teammates & coaches have a lot of trust in me & they’ve welcomed me with open arms. That hurts when I can’t pull through for them. That hurts.”
The Knicks might be in need of a shakeup, and a trade proposed by NBA Twitter powerhouse Rob Perez, best known as WorldWideWob, comes up with a deal that would send both Evan Fournier and Julius Randle to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook.
Adding the former MVP likely wouldn’t result in a better record for the Knicks this season, but it would give them a lot more flexibility going into next summer.
Big Trade Proposed
There are a lot of different ways the Knicks could get better, and many fans have many different ideas.
One such way would be to move off the big contracts and start fresh with some young players. Obi Toppin is somebody who could benefit from more minutes, and moving Randle would be the way to make that happen. Here’s the trade Perez proposes:
- Knicks Receive: Russell Westbrook, Wenyen Gabriel, 2026 First-Round Pick
- Evan Fournier, Julius Randle, Miles McBride
In that trade, we would see the massive contracts of both Randle and Fournier moved to the Lakers in exchange for a big one in Westbrook’s, but his expires after the season.
The Knicks can use some shooting, and Fournier would provide that for them. Randle would be an interesting fit as he’d go from being one of the stars in New York to becoming a clear third-option for the Lakers. that could possibly allow him to thrive and reach his All-NBA form again.
As for Fournier, he would likely find himself getting a lot of open shots from deep with LeBron James driving and kicking the ball out to him. There are a lot of reasons this trade would make sense for the Lakers, and the contracts might not be all that important to them as James and Davis are both on big money contracts for the near future.
Makes Sense for the Knicks?
For the Knicks, this would strictly be about freeing up money for the next offseason. They would move Randle and Fournier’s contracts that run for four and three years respectively in exchange for one’s that up this summer.
Westbrook could either become New York’s sixth man, a role he’s been thriving with in Los Angeles, or be bought out to join a title contender. Both options would work for the Knicks, but if they want to bottom out this season for a shop at a higher draft pick before spending more money in the offseason, buying out Westbrook would be a better option.
Perhaps the most important part of this trade would be freeing up minutes for Toppin. He’s shown he can be very productive when given the chance, and coach Tom Thibodeau wouldn’t have many other options if Randle is traded. This could be a win-win for the Knicks even if they find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoffs for a second season in a row.