The 4-seed in the Eastern Conference, Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player… everything went right for the New York Knicks during the 2020-21 NBA season, even though they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Now one year later, everything is crashing down after one year of success, leading to tons of question marks surrounding the New York Knicks franchise heading into the offseason.
After losing to the Hawks on Tuesday night, the Knicks now sit five full games back from the 10-seeded Hawks in the Eastern Conference standings with just 10 games remaining on New York’s schedule.
It is safe to say that the Knicks are going to miss the postseason this year and as a result, major changes could be on the horizon both managerial-wise and roster-wise.
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Head coach Tom Thibodeau’s job seems safe for the moment, but the Knicks front-office is expected to completely reshape the roster in the offseason, which could lead to speculation about All-Star Julius Randle’s future in the league.
The Knicks and Randle agreed to a four-year, $117 million extension in the offseason prior to the start of the 2021-22 season, but his recent performances and constant underachievement of this season could result in New York fielding trade calls for the forward.
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Julius Randle is the Knicks leading scorer and best overall talent right now, but R.J. Barrett has emerged as a potential All-Star candidate moving forward, and getting the most value out of Randle in a trade this upcoming offseason could make a lot of sense, especially since he is now under contract through the 2025-26 season.
There are no indications yet on what New York plans to do in the offseason, however, it does not appear that anybody is safe.
Should the New York Knicks look to leverage Julius Randle this upcoming offseason, here are three key trade targets for them to consider.
