Julius Randle On the Move?

By on

        The New York Knicks' playoff hopes ended heartbreakingly. Losing game seven at home against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. They looked like a championship contender this year after winning 50 games in the regular season, having a top-ten defense and offense, and having a deep roster. Sadly injuries robbed the Knicks from advancing to the conference finals. Knicks All-Star guard Jalen Brunson said he doesn't view this season as a success since they didn't win the championship or weren't close but the fact is that this is the best the franchise has looked in a long time. 



        Julius Randle was one of many injuries to come up for the Knicks. He badly hurt his shoulder in a regular season matchup against the Miami Heat towards the end of Jan. He would make an effort to get back on the court before the playoffs but sadly the shoulder wasn't responding well enough to get back into playing condition. Randle underwent season-ending surgery, averaging 24 points per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three-point range. 



        While the Knicks would have loved to have had Randle available for the playoffs, one could argue he might not have been reliable. He's only been to the postseason twice in his ten-year NBA career and the small sample size doesn't help his case. Randle's scoring and efficiency from the field and three-point range drop significantly compared to his regular season numbers. He is in the final year of his deal, next year being a player option, and teams are monitoring his availability on the trade block. 



        Randle is set to make $30.3 million next season and is eligible for a contract extension of up to four years, $181 million. His salary along with their draft capital could be used to facilitate trades for a star such as Devin Booker, Brandon Ingram, Kevin Durant, or a solid role player like Mikal Bridges. If the Knicks don't extend Randle, he could be moved by the Feb. deadline or even as soon as this summer. They have a busy offseason ahead of them with some of their own players being free agents and looking to keep this competitive trend going. 
Location: Miami, FL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kelly Oubre Jr. Free Agency!

By on
Image
          Kelly Oubre Jr. has been quite the journeyman in the NBA. In 2015, he was drafted by the Washington Wizards then after a few seasons would get traded to the Phoenix Suns. After a short stint in Phoenix, Oubre signed a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors. Following a brief year in the Bay Area, he would spend a couple seasons with the Charlotte Hornets where he would have some of his best games. This season, Oubre finished a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and will hit the free agency market again this summer.            For a player on a veteran minimum, Oubre was a significant impactful player this season. He averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds per game. His defense was nothing less than amazing and his athleticism played to his strength this year. Oubre will have multiple suitors this summer from championship-contending teams.            The Philadelphia 76ers...
Read more

Pascal Siakam Is A Pacer!

By on
Image
          It is officially the end of an era for the Toronto Raptors. Pascal Siakam has been mentioned in trade rumors for most of the season. While Siakam's wish was to stay with the Raptors, the business of the NBA tends to interfere with wishes. It has been announced that Pascal Siakam has been traded to the Indiana Pacers.            Pascal Siakam was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2016 with the twenty-seventh overall pick. He was a huge piece in helping the Raptors win their first ever NBA championship in 2019 against the Golden State Warriors. After winning a championship he was named an NBA All-Star in 2020 and again in 2023. Siakam has also made All-NBA twice, All-NBA Second Team in 2020 and then All-NBA Third Team in 2022. Siakam has accomplished a lot in his eight years in the NBA, now he will join a rising young team in Indianapolis.           Full trade details: The Indiana Pace...
Read more

Knicks Big Man Search

By on
Image
          The New York Knicks are coming off their first 50-win season in over a decade but after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency they need to look for another big. They only have two centers on the roster, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims. Having Robinson go back into the starting lineup isn't much of an issue, besides some health concerns, but Sims as the backup is still a question. He has yet to be a consistent rotation player in his young career. Matter of fact, in his three seasons in the league he has only played in over 50 games once.            There aren't any free-agent centers that can be seen as reliable backups for the Knicks. The team still has seven of their own first-round picks that they could trade to find the big man they need. According to an X account, "BigKnicksEnergy," a league source reported that the Knicks are interested in Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards and are willing to move ...
Read more