The New York Knicks are going to look to shake things up a little bit this offseason. After finishing in fourth place during the 2020-21 NBA season, New York followed that up with an 11th place finish this season.
That will lead to some changes to the roster being made. One of the players that could be on the move is power forward Julius Randle. He was an All-Star and second-team All-NBA during the 2020-21 season but was unable to replicate that success this past season.
While his counting stats were still impressive, his 3-point shooting and overall efficiency cratered. Without him playing at a high level, the Knicks’ offense would go into swoons that ultimately led to losses throughout the season. His negative interactions with fans in the crowd aren’t going to help his case either.
Some believe the New York Knicks could look to move on from Randle this offseason as a result. New York would be fully committing to their young core and possibly adding to it depending on which team would trade for Randle.
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It has been noted that should the team move on from him, they would be looking for a center in return. Mitchell Robinson is heading into free agency and it seems like he will not be returning as the sides are far apart on a new contract.
With that in mind, could the Golden State Warriors be a potential trade partner? One possible package would send Randle and Evan Fournier out west with James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins coming to New York.
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Playing as the third option behind Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson could do wonders for Randle, who has shown he is capable of being the No. 1 option for a winning team for stretches of time. Fournier would be another sharpshooter that would drive opponents crazy trying to keep up with them.
The Knicks would be augmenting their young core, adding Wiseman, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, to it. They can afford him the chance to develop more than the Golden State Warriors, who are in win-now mode and could need some help this offseason.
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Wiggins has transformed into an All-Star on the wing and is someone that Tom Thibodeau would love as a two-way player. 27-years old himself, he can be part of the long-term future in New York or they could look to flip him for more assets before he hits free agency in 2023.
The New York Knicks are slashing a ton of long-term salary in this deal, especially if they do not re-sign Wiggins. Opening up some money in the future could be another motivating factor to move on from Julius Randle this offseason.
