Julius Randle trade ideas are rampant, although he broke out for the New York Knicks last season, en route to earning an All-Star appearance, winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award, and guiding the Knicks to the playoffs. After that, he signed a four-year, $117 million extension. At the time, that seemed like a solid deal if Randle was going to maintain his play or improve further.
That was not the case this season. Virtually all of Randle’s numbers dropped, and he no longer resembled a reliable first-option on offense. The Knicks came back down to Earth as well, being eliminated from playoff contention weeks before the conclusion of the regular season. Perhaps it’s time to build around RJ Barrett. Here are three Randle trade ideas.
Three Julius Randle Trade Ideas
A Forward Swap
New York Knicks receive Jerami Grant.
Detroit Pistons receive Julius Randle and a second-round pick.
Randle remains the better player in this trade. With that being said, New York gets a solid piece in Grant. This season he averaged about 19 points and four assists per game. He’ll also be getting paid close to $10 million less than Randle next season, which will then allow the Knicks to have more flexibility in free agency this summer. This may include re-signing Mitchell Robinson and targeting a premier free agent such as Jalen Brunson.
Randle can certainly improve in Detroit. He’ll have reliable point guard play with Cade Cunningham around, plus Detroit will likely have a top-three pick in this coming draft. Offensive options will then be plentiful in the Motor City, so Randle won’t have to carry the bulk of the duties. Less pressure may result in Randle looking more like his 2020/21 self. The Knicks throw in a second-round pick as a sweetener for taking on Randle’s contract.
The Utah Jazz Blow it Up in this Julius Randle Trade
New York Knicks receive Donovan Mitchell.
Utah Jazz receive Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, the Knicks’ 2021 first-round pick, and a future second-round pick.
A trade like this would be contingent on the Utah Jazz falling short to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. As good as Utah has been over the past few seasons, they consistently fall short come playoff time. Frustration seems to be boiling, so it would be no surprise to see the team trade Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, or both.
Securing Mitchell will be a win no matter what for the Knicks. It’ll be expensive, but a move worth making. He’s one of the deadliest scorers in the entire league and averaged about 26 points, five assists, and four rebounds this season. Mitchell and Barrett make an excellent pairing to build around.
Utah can remain competitive with Randle, who should continue to average upwards of 20 points per game. He’s still just 27-years old and entering his prime. In addition, the Jazz will land Quickley. The 22-year-old guard averaged about 11 points, three assists, and three rebounds this season. Lastly, the Jazz will also receive the Knicks’ lottery pick this coming draft.
Three Team Madness
New York Knicks receive Duncan Robinson and Luke Kennard.
Miami Heat receive Julius Randle.
LA Clippers receive Nerlens Noel and PJ Tucker.
This remains hypothetical as well should Miami fall short in the playoffs. If they do, don’t be surprised to see them go big in the trade market to win a championship in their current window. Here they’ll get Randle to take the four spot, and form an elite starting five of himself, Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
New York adds plenty of shooting here. Robinson and Kennard are amongst the top shooters in the entire league. Ideally, one would start and the other would come off the bench. This would give the Knicks a consistent threat from the perimeter on nearly every single offensive play. This would, however, place the Knicks in a situation where they likely have to rely on Obi Toppin being a force as a starting four.
The Clippers will be healthy next season and should aim to compete for a championship. Tucker is the ultimate glue guy and extremely experienced when it comes to the playoffs. He adds to the embarrassment of riches that the Clippers will have on the wing. Noel comes in as another defensive stopper and provides great depth behind Ivica Zubac.
Main Image: Embed from Getty Images
