Report: Knicks Not Trying To Trade Julius Randle, Recognize Their Quest For Star Could Require Having To Do So

According to NBA reporter Fred Katz of The Athletic, the New York Knicks are not trying to trade Julius Randle. 

However, the Knicks recognize that their quest for a star could require having to do so.

“The Knicks are not trying to trade Randle, but they recognize that their quest for a star could require having to do so,” Katz wrote. “If a suitable target does not pop up this summer, then they could turn their eyes to the 2025 trade deadline, hoping to land one then.”

Randle is eligible to sign an extension with the Knicks on August 3. New York could offer the All-Star a contract as large as $181.5 million over four years. 

The 29-year-old Randle appeared in 46 games this season. He averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 47.2% from the field, 31.1% from beyond the arc and 78.1% from the free-throw line. 

“Aug. 3 gives both sides a sweet spot to work out a deal,” Katz wrote. “That’s a month after free agency begins, far enough into the summer for the Knicks to know (probably) if they will land a star in 2024 — and if Randle would be a part of that trade. It’s also early enough to commit to Randle and still maintain his trade eligibility leading into February’s deadline. A player cannot be traded for six months after signing an extension.”

Randle dislocated his right shoulder on January 27 against the Miami Heat and missed the rest of the season. The Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of this year’s playoffs in seven games. 

Randle signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2019 after playing for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018-19. He’s averaging 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks in a New York uniform.

The Knicks signed Randle to a four-year, $117 million extension in August 2021. Randle, who won the 2020-21 Most Improved Player of the Year Award, will make $27.6 million in 2024-25. 

Randle has career averages of 19.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks with the Los Angeles Lakers, Pelicans and Knicks. He was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Lakers out of Kentucky.