The futures of Julius Randle and the New York Knicks may not be intertwining. And that much could be determined as soon as this offseason, with the All-Star forward up for an extension.
If the Knicks do decide to move on from Randle this summer, it will take a trade. He’s under contract through the 2024-2025 season with a player option for 2025-2026.
One option that could present itself, is swapping the All-Star with the Washington Wizards‘ Kyle Kuzma in a blockbuster deal.
Knicks receive: Kyle Kuzma, 2027 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick
Wizards receive: Julius Randle
Almost a year out from free agency, Randle won’t net a king’s ransom from any team.
But to get back a starter caliber player in Kuzma, with the addition of two first-round picks, Leon Rose and the New York front office can continue stockpiling assets, and guaranteed salary, for an inevitable star trade.
Randle played just 46 games in the regular season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that sidelined him for the playoffs.
New York was 29-17 in the games he played in 2023-2024. Randle averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists in his fifth-campaign with the Knicks.
Wizards Listed as No. 1 Betting Favorite to Land Randle
BetOnline released odds on May 22 for Randle’s next team, should New York choose to trade him, and the list of teams is, uninspiring.
BetOnline sent out odds for Julius Randle’s next team and boy this is a bad list pic.twitter.com/VU5N3e96Vp
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) May 22, 2024
The Wizards are the betting favorite, with the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Toronto Raptors making up the top-four.
All are teams that finished the regular season with an under .500 record.
And that’s with all signs out of the Big Apple suggesting he’ll remain in blue and orange. Fred Katz of The Athletic reports that New York has little desire to trade the All-Star forward.
“The Knicks are not trying to trade Randle,” Katz wrote on May 24. “But they recognize that their quest for a star could require having to do so. 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.”
That highlights how poor the timing of a trade would be this summer for both parties.
But if the Knicks can’t come to terms with Randle on an extension number both sides feel comfortable with, they’ll have to little choice but to explore their options.
Kuzma Underrated Now in Washington
But with the Wizards, Kuzma has almost become underrated. The seventh-year forward averaged 22.2 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 70 games this season.
According to Stathead, only seven other players reached those numbers in 2023-2024.
Sure, there’s a drastically low win shares number associated with Kuzma. But on a Washington team that went 15-67, how much can be credited to him?
It’s unlikely any baggage he brings to New York would break the mold of head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s winning culture.
At 28 years old, he’s already won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, and has never played less than 60 games in a season.
Amidst an uncertain future in D.C., he nixed a trade to the Dallas Mavericks during ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, because he didn’t feel they were contending for a championship.
“In my career, I won a championship,” Kuzma told Josh Robbins of The Athletic on February 13. “So, I understand that when we play this game of basketball it’s not about contending for a playoff spot. It’s about contending for an NBA championship. There’s only like three or four contenders — true contenders. I just felt like our timelines didn’t line up.”
Washington is a franchise without direction. It’s been that way since the days of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Randle would help set a winning standard.
And if he’s not going to keep doing so with the Knicks, then a deal netting a starting talent and future draft assets is return enough for New York.
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