Should The Knicks Move on From Julius Randle?
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Amidst the smoke and fire of what the New York Knicks were, a superstar has risen in Julius Randle. In 2019 the Knicks expected to get Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but they utterly failed in their attempt by offering Durant a non-max contract, which led to them both signing with the Brooklyn Nets. In recovery, the Knicks drafted Obi Toppin at the number eight pick, who had a great upside, and Julius Randle who they expected to trade.
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Looking back at it now, the Knicks made a great decision. Not only did they shock the world when Randle started to average 25 points per game (PPG) and 10 rebounds per game (RPG). But when Durant was out with the Nets, Irving started his drama with the Nets. This put the New York Knicks in a great position, with them creating a new defensive culture with Tom Thibodeau and a new star in the making.
Now, The Knicks need to make a big splash next year if they want to be considered seriously for the title. The only way I see this happening is if they bring in a superstar that can average more than Randle and be more aggressive than him. The only trade I would include to send Randle for someone else is Philly:
Knicks Receive: Joel Embiid
76ers Receive: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Evan Fourier(for salary matching purposes), and either Quentin Grimes or Immanuel Quickly, with 5-7 first round picks.
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With Joel Embiid on board, this makes the Knicks instant contenders alongside Jalen Brunson and RJ Barret. With Randle and Embiid on the floor, the offense is stagnant and lazy at best. I do not see Randle and Embiid playing well on the same team. It would make more sense to move Embiid in this trade than his counterpart, RJ Barret.
Now, if they keep Obi Toppin and slide him into the starting lineup next to Embiid, their stagnant offense will become very active and spacious. With this starting lineup, Embiid is not the only big on the floor that can shoot threes and be dominant in the paint: Toppin can also do this and be a fan favorite.
New York Knicks Potential lineup would be:
Jalen Brunson, Rj Barret, Josh Hart, Obi Toppin, and Joel Embiid.
Immanuel Quickly, Miles Mcbride, Isaiah Roby, Isaiah Hartenstine, and Jericho Sims.
The only trade that makes sense for the Knicks is to get someone more dominant than the players they already have. With Brunson and Barret showing up in the playoffs, I only feel very comfortable trading away Randle in a big trade. With that in mind, this roster with Embiid makes the Knicks the same team. I think someone like Mikal Bridges or Cam Thomas from Brooklyn is exactly what the Knicks need in a starting small forward.
Josh Hart is a good option to start, however, Hart makes his best impact while coming off the bench. The Knicks also need to find players that can play off the bench. Miles McBride is a good young player, but he’s not a championship backup. Maybe they need a player of the same caliber as Tyus Jones, a glue guy that can really run the ball.
