Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Julius Randle, G/F Evan Fournier, 2022 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: G Damian Lillard
If the Portland Trail Blazers are opposed to a full-scale rebuild, this may be the deal for them. They’re adding two quality NBA players and a valuable draft pick in exchange for their longtime franchise player.
Julius Randle had a disappointing 2021-22 after winning Most Improved Player the year before. The main culprit was three-point shooting: his accuracy plummeted from 41.1% to 30.8% between the two seasons. Whenever you slip from “elite” to “outright bad” in any statistical category, it’s generally a problem.
The truth is, Randle is probably somewhere between those 2 seasons in his truest form. If that’s true, he’s still an All-Star caliber player, if not an All-NBA one. A small-market club like the Blazers may require an All-Star in exchange for Lillard. If they’re refusing to bottom out, this trade may keep the in a position to be competitive while adding an exciting young player in the process.
It’s an age-old debate in NBA circles: to tank, or not to tank. Many observers would argue that acquiring Randle is a fool’s errand in this situation. The Blazers may be setting themselves up for the treadmill of mediocrity here.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 1 Massive Blockbuster Trade For New York Knicks To Pursue
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks will need another star to pair with Lillard. They may prefer that star to be Julius Randle. If this package doesn’t satisfy either side, there may be an alternative route available.
