After a strong season for the New York Knicks, could they look to make a major move with one of their stars? They were able to have an exciting 2022-23 NBA season, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs before being eliminated by the Miami Heat.
In the playoffs, the Knicks saw Jalen Brunson elevate his game even more and solidify himself as a star in the league. While Brunson was great, Randle didn’t play like an All-Star while battling through injury, and that hurt the team overall.
Randle had arguably his best season last year despite the playoff failures, as he averaged 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. As a power forward, he started to stretch the floor as well last year, as he averaged 2.8 made threes per game.
While the regular season was great for Randle, he saw significant drops in the playoffs, as he averaged just 16.6 points per game and saw his shooting efficiency drop as well. Even though Randle is an All-Star, the Knicks are always looking to improve, and moving Randle has been something discussed in the past.
With that being said, here are three potential teams that could be interested in Randle.
Houston Rockets
After years of success with James Harden leading the team, the Houston Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA the last few seasons. Due to their struggles, the Rockets have been able to acquire some good young talent through the draft, but lack a star.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Julius Randle, New York Knicks & Houston Rockets Updates
Randle would provide the Rockets with that star they desperately need, as he has shown that he is an All-Star caliber player in the NBA. At just 28 years old, Randle would be a veteran on the Rockets, but yet still young enough to help them for years to come.
San Antonio Spurs
It has been strange to see the San Antonio Spurs struggle over the past few seasons after decades of success with David Robertson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Now, the struggles of the Spurs.
With Greg Popovich being one of the best coaches in the league, he will now have a new phenom to coach in Victor Wembanyama. With Wembanyama, the rebuild for the Spurs could be quick, and adding a star like Randle would be nice to pair with their new young star.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Julius Randle, New York Knicks & San Antonio Spurs Updates
If there is going to be a knock on Wembanyama, it will be his ability to play down low and bang around in the paint. Randle is a great forward in terms of rebound and can space the floor for Wembanyama. If the Spurs want to speed up their rebuild, adding a star like Randle would be a good move.
Oklahoma City Thunder
After a couple of years of rebuilding, the Oklahoma City Thunder seem like a team that is ready to take a big step forward. Last season, the Thunder were able to get into the play-in games to the surprise of many, and this season they will be seeking a Top-6 seed in the Western Conference.
For the Thunder, they have a young emerging star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who looks like he will be an All-Star for years to come. In addition to SGA, the Thunder also have another good young player in Josh Giddey.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Julius Randle, New York Knicks & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Adding a great forward like Randle would give the Thunder another star and create a very interesting duo with SGA, which could be one of the better ones in the league.
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