Coming off a year in which they were the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference, Tom Thibodeau won Coach of the Year in the NBA and Julius Randle was not only a first-time All-Star but the league’s Most Improved Player, the New York Knicks were expecting the 2021-22 season to be full of excitement and renewed energy for the city of New York. 

Well, things have not gone according to plan for the Knicks, as it seems like the 2020-21 season was a “one-hit wonder” for the Knicks. Currently 25-37, the Knicks are close to being out of the playoff picture entirely this season and it seems like they have taken a major step backward as a franchise. 

RJ Barrett has been having a really strong third-year in the league, showing flashes of his All-Star potential, but Julius Randle has seemed to regress and the rest of the Knicks’ roster has some major question marks surrounding it heading into the offseason. 

With no major free agents expected to be available, the Knicks could have to turn their attention to the trade market in order to improve not just their outlook for the 2022-23 season, but their long-term future as well. 

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Questions about Julius Randle’s long-term future have been beginning to form after his struggles leading up to the All-Star break this season, so could the Knicks actually consider trading the All-Star forward in the offseason? 

Just trading Randle will not solve all of the Knicks’ problems at once, but let’s take a look at three teams who could be monitoring Julius Randle’s status in New York City over the next few months.