On Sunday, seven of the Knicks‘ offseason signees became trade-eligible and with the team in the midst of another woeful season, New York could look to ship out some of its veterans.
Steve Popper of Newsday hears from an NBA source that the Knicks are believed to be open to trading Julius Randle. The big man inked a three-year, $57MM deal with the club back in July and he’s had an uneven first couple months in New York, as he’s making just 44.5% of his shots from the field. Randle is the only one of the team’s offseason free agent signees that received multiple fully guaranteed years.
Marcus Morris is likely the team’s best trade chip right now. He’s averaging 48.2% from downtown in his point-forward role for the club and his one-year, $15MM deal won’t hinder any team’s long-term future (it’s probably safe to assume the Spurs won’t be the team trading for Morris).
The Knicks are balancing playing their veterans with getting their young core experience and it would be surprising if the team doesn’t make at least one deal before the trade deadline.
Players will start giving money back to get off the sinking ship. Don’t blame them.
False narrative. This ship has been sitting on the bed of the Hudson River for decades so nowhere to sink.
so true
The offseason was so busy that the midseason may not be.
Knicks should be open to trading just about anyone from their roster except for Barrett and Robinson. Doubt Randle garners much interest though. He doesn’t offer much defensively and really doesn’t have any exceptional skills (not a shooter, isn’t an elite rebounder, isn’t a point forward-type). Of note is that only $4 million of his 2021 contract is guaranteed before 6/28/21 but that’s still $22.9 million ($18.9m salary next year) plus his remaining salary this season owed to him. I’d be surprised if a team traded for him this season unless the Knicks were sending picks, eating a lot of the contract, or swap bad contract for bad contract. A trade next season would be the more likely but its not like his “only $4m guaranteed for 2021” is an appealing bargaining chip either. Cavs had a similar situation with JR Smith and couldn’t find a trade partner either.
I would also keep Elfrid Payton and Frrank Nitlikina. With Mitchell and RJ Barrett really all we need is a franchise player to make waves. This team isn’t as bad as their record shows. We’ve lost several games that we should have won. I think Coach Miller is doing a great job and I would keep Dennis Smith Jr. On the bench because our other point guards are playing well.
Haha, these clowns. They should be “open” to trading everyone on that garbage roster. Why did they sign 7 PFs in FA anyway? The Knicks have been an irrelevant embarrassment since they were competitive in the 90s when Jordan’s Bulls owned them. Been downhill ever since. Somehow the lowly Nets have even taken the attention from them in their own city, The NBA would greatly benefit from their largest market team at least being respectable
Not all of it’s garbage. How many of the top teams in the NBA would love to have Julius Randle? I’d say almost all of them would.
Not at 21 million per year. Horrid defender with no outside game.
At his 8M per season figure they’d be on board. They don’t tank right. No big FA came this year, there isn’t one available next year. So why sign guys that block your draft picks PT instead of signing lower dollar figure role trade-able guys?
Am I missing something about Randle’s AAV? It’s 21 million right? Where is the 8 million figure coming from?
That was his salary last year
His salary this year is roughly $18m per Spotrac. Still a big salary for an underwhelming player.
Anyone from Philadelphia knows how to tank properly. You guys have perfected your technique for almost three decades.
Now you’re working on how to flop without injury. Lord knows your team has 0 depth.
Knicks need to move on from Mills before they make any trades. Unless they get Ujiri, this will still be a mess.
No thanks!! The DYSFUNCTIONAL KNICKS can keep him!!
Randle is not the biggest of their problems, but I agree that they deal absolutely anyone not named Robinson or Barrett if they can get any asset at all.
Holding on to him if they don’t find a deal is fine. FA class this offseason is fairly weak, and they can get out from Randle’s option in the 2021 offseason when the FA lineup is more impressive. By that point they’ll need to have a better GM/President in place, and have done well with their pick this upcoming draft to have a shot at landing a star though.
If the Knicks hadn’t tied up those ~$60m on scrubs they could have been the broker of the trade deadline, facilitating trades for all the teams that have no expendable expiring contracts.
Could have come out of it with multiple first round picks. Instead they have Randle, Morris, Gibson, Portis, Ellington, Payton…lol can’t make this stuff up.
They should be open to trading everyone but RJ, Knox, and Mitch.
Moving Randle (for any expiring deal) would be a great move on several fronts. I wouldn’t give a pick to get rid of him, but wouldn’t require one either. He’s replaced THJ for this year and next, as the backup talent being paid and treated as a star. He has no position (he can’t play as, or with, a real center). Certainly can’t play with Robinson (even the Knicks had to accept that), so he forces a potential young star to the bench.
Mavs please