Julius Randle has been a mixed bag for the majority of his time with the New York Knicks.
He boasts a somewhat decent offensive skillset, but is limited by his lack of under-the-basket tools and size. Defensively, he always struggled to maintain any sort of presence.
Because of that, aside from one above-average contract year showing, Randle has largely disappointed during his New York stint.
The Knicks have repeatedly expressed interest in trading him. Unfortunately, a deal has never come together.
This week, a window into why emerged.
Recently Fred Katz of The Athletic broke down why nobody out there wants to take Randle off the Knicks’ hands.
“The four remaining seasons on Julius Randle’s deal have made teams, even ones who believe last season wasn’t representative of who he is, hesitant about acquiring him,” Katz wrote.
“The Knicks, meanwhile, haven’t been willing to attach a first-rounder or two to send him elsewhere.”
This is a situation similar to the one the Lakers are facing with Russell Westbrook.
One team was briefly linked to a potential Randle trade, but to date nothing has come together. Beyond that, it doesn’t look like there is anything else in the cards.
Randle’s aforementioned deficiencies on the court and his locker room issues off it have made him a tough guy to move.
Randle has worked this summer to transform his body. Time will tell if that investment ultimately pays dividends.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/fcnbsAxhhM
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 29, 2022
If the 27-year-old comes back strong in 2022-23 and puts up a performance similar to the one he put up in his contract year – obviously all his past woes will be forgotten.
But if he doesn’t, don’t be shocked if the Knicks soften their position on giving up a pick to get rid of him.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
