Julius Randle Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Raptors, Unseld Jr., Randle, Heat

January 22nd, 2022 at 3:54pm CST by JD Shaw

The Raptors may find it hard to determine what they need ahead of the trade deadline, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. The deadline falls on February 10 this year, which is less than three weeks away.

“We’re trying to evaluate who exactly we are, and if you’re going to try to add a piece or two, which you’re always trying to do, saying, ‘What does this team need?’” head coach Nick Nurse said. “Even in the championship year you’re trying to figure out where can we make it that much better, that much deeper or whatever. It has been more difficult this year to figure it out.”

Like many teams, Toronto has dealt with availability issues this season due to COVID-19 and injuries. The team is currently in the play-in tournament picture at 22-21, good for the eighth-best record in the East.

Should they pursue a trade, the Raptors could benefit from upgrading their offense. The team ranks 27th in field goal percentage (43.6%), 21st in three-point percentage (34.1%), and 23rd in points per game (106.8). On the flip side, Toronto has made the third-fewest turnovers per game (12.6).

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Unseld will return to coaching against the Celtics on Sunday. The club went 1-3 in the four contests he missed while in protocols.
The Knicks made Julius Randle‘s situation worse by not allowing him to speak to the media after a loss to New Orleans this week, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News opines. New York was fined $25,000 for the decision. Randle has struggled in recent games, scoring four points on 1-of-9 shooting against the Pelicans. He was also fined $25,000 for using profane language during media interviews earlier this month.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines several notes related to the Heat, including the team’s upcoming game against the Lakers on Sunday. Current Lakers players LeBron James, Avery Bradley, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Kendrick Nunn all hold experience with the Heat, though only James, Bradley and Ariza played in Los Angeles’ win over Orlando on Friday. Ellington received a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision), while Nunn continues to rehab a bone bruise.

Kings Rumors: Holmes, Haliburton, Fox, Randle

January 21st, 2022 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Examining the Kings‘ options at the trade deadline, James Ham of The Kings Beat confirms previous reporting from Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic, writing that Sacramento no longer has interest in taking on Tobias Harris‘ contract in any Ben Simmons deal and that De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are off the table in trade discussions involving Domantas Sabonis.

While Fox and Haliburton are presumed to be off-limits, the Kings would be open to discussing virtually any other player on their roster, according to Ham. That includes center Richaun Holmes, who was just re-signed to a four-year contract during the 2021 offseason. Holmes, Harrison Barnes, and Buddy Hield would be among Sacramento’s prime trade candidates in any move for an impact player.

A league source tells Ham that the Kings – who are “working overtime” to seek out viable deals – won’t be eager to sacrifice future draft assets, but would be open to trading picks for quality players who are under contract for multiple years and who complement Fox and Haliburton.

Here’s more out of Sacramento:

Tyrese Haliburton has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, as reported by… well, Haliburton himself (Twitter link). Sacramento no longer has any players in the protocols.
De’Aaron Fox, who spoke to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports last week about his reaction to being included in trade rumors, discussed the subject again during a media session on Wednesday night, downplaying his concerns. “Am I worried about anything? No,” Fox said (video link via Ham). “Do I know stuff can happen? Yeah. But I’m not worried at all, no.”
Asked in a video mailbag for SNY.tv about the possibility of the Knicks acquiring Fox, Ian Begley says some people in the Kings’ front office were interested in Julius Randle even before his breakout season in 2020/21. However, Begley is skeptical that there’s a major deal to be made between the two teams.

Knicks, Nets Each Fined $25K By NBA

January 21st, 2022 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has hit New York’s two franchises with fines, announcing in a pair of press releases that the Knicks and Nets have each been docked $25K.

The Knicks’ penalty is a result of violating league rules relating to media interview access, according to the league. New York refused to make Julius Randle available to reporters following Thursday’s loss to the Pelicans. It was the seventh straight time that Randle hasn’t spoken to the media after a game, notes Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link), so the fine is presumably a response to a series of violations rather than a single incident.

Randle has had an up-and-down season after winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2020/21, and Thursday definitely qualified as one of his “down” moments. The veteran forward scored just four points on 1-of-9 shooting in an 11-point home loss. The last time he spoke to reporters after a game was when he gave a thumbs-down sign during a home game and later explained that it was a signal for the fans who had criticized him to “shut the f–k up” (Twitter link via Katz).

The Nets’ fine, meanwhile, is related to an incident involving assistant coach David Vanterpool, who received a separate $10K fine of his own. During Wednesday’s game vs. Washington, Vanterpool reached out from the sidelines to deflect a pass from Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie intended for forward Kyle Kuzma, resulting in a turnover (Twitter link). The incident wasn’t caught in the moment by referees and Brooklyn ended up winning the game by a single point.

Head coach Steve Nash said today that Vanterpool feels badly about his actions and called it an honest mistake in the heat of the moment (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post).

Knicks Notes: Walker, Randle, Toppin, Grimes, Reddish

January 20th, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said earlier this week he didn’t want Kemba Walker to return to action until the point guard was confident he could play on a regular basis. Even though Walker returned on Tuesday and scored 19 points in 30 minutes against Minnesota, the veteran guard didn’t make any promises about his future availability, according to Peter Botte of the New York Post.

“We’ll see. We’ll see down the line,” Walker said. “It really just depends on how I feel.”

We have more on the Knicks:

The team and star forward Julius Randle haven’t lived up to expectations and it’s unlikely that will change, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes. Randle hasn’t come close to reproducing the offensive efficiency he displayed last season, the defense has been subpar, and difference-maker Derrick Rose is out with an injury. As one Eastern Conference executive told Bontemps, “Everything fell into place for them last year, and they haven’t been able to repeat it.”
Obi Toppin has seen his playing time plummet in recent games, Botte notes. Toppin, the team’s 2020 lottery pick, has averaged just 11.3 MPG over the past eight contests. He’s averaging 7.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 15.8 MPG during his second season.
Quentin Grimes has earned more playing time even with several veterans returning to action recently, Steve Popper of Newsday writes. Grimes doesn’t put up big stats but Thibodeau has played Grimes a minimum of 17 minutes in all but one game this month. “Grimes has been playing great basketball,” Thibodeau said of the first-round rookie guard. “But it’s just step by step. You earn your minutes here. What you do in practice. You have to wait for your opportunity and when your opportunity comes, be ready to go.”
Newly-acquired Cam Reddish is close to making his Knicks debut, Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets. Thibodeau said Reddish will be ready to return from an ankle sprain “any day now.”

Knicks Notes: Reddish, Brunson, Randle, Walker

January 16th, 2022 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau met with newly acquired Cam Reddish on Saturday and told him that playing time will have to be earned, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. The Knicks didn’t part with any rotation pieces in the Thursday trade that brought Reddish to New York, sending out only Kevin Knox and a draft pick, so Reddish will have to supplant someone else to get his minutes.

Reddish is still dealing with a sprained ankle, so there’s no firm timetable for him to make his debut with the Knicks. Once he’s ready, it sounds like he will have to stand out in practice before being placed into the rotation.

“You don’t lock into one player, you lock into our team,’’ Thibodeau said. “So it’s not just Cam’s development or just (Immanuel Quickley’s). It’s everyone’s development. I’m looking forward to working with Cam. Practice is important to me. You have to earn what you get, it’s that simple.’’

There’s more on the Knicks:

Executives around the league believe the Reddish trade may eventually lead to an even bigger deal, Berman states in a separate story. Sources tell him that the front office has already contacted the Mavericks about Jalen Brunson and has reached out to the Pistons about Jerami Grant and the Pacers about Myles Turner. The Knicks are particularly interested in Brunson, whose father Rick has served as an assistant coach under Thibodeau and was the first client for team president Leon Rose when he became an agent.
The Knicks may be more willing to part with Julius Randle, who is having an uneven season after winning Most Improved Player honors last year, Berman adds. Randle may not be suited for the role of team leader, Berman suggests in the wake of a public dispute with fans last week. Rumors that John Collins may be available could spark another trade with the Hawks.
Kemba Walker has now missed eight games after feeling pain in his left knee during warmups and didn’t make the trip to Atlanta for Saturday’s contest, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. “It’s a one-game trip,’’ Thibodeau said. “We thought it would be better, don’t get on the plane, stay at the practice facility, get your treatment, get your workout, get a much better workout there. Because it’s a one-day thing, we just thought it made more sense that way.”

Knicks Notes: Walker, Quickley, Grant, Randle

January 11th, 2022 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are paying the price for counting on a pair of point guards in their 30s who have a history of health issues, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The team entered the season with Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose atop its depth chart at the point, but Walker has missed time recently due to knee problems and Rose is out indefinitely following ankle surgery.

As Bondy outlines, playing without a reliable point guard has created some additional offensive problems for the Knicks, who have the NBA’s 23rd-most efficient offense and rank last in the Eastern Conference in assists per game.

“The defense has pretty much been there,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said after a weekend loss in which the Knicks scored just 75 points in Boston. “It’s the offense has been inconsistent.”

New York’s injury absences have resulted in Immanuel Quickley taking on more point guard responsibilities as of late, notes Steve Popper of Newsday. Thibodeau lauded the second-year guard for the progress he has made in that role while acknowledging there’s still work to do.

“There’s stretches in the game where you have to settle the team down and get the team organized,” Thibodeau said of Quickley. “I think that will come in time. The more he does it the better he’ll get at it. I love his versatility. You can play him with the ball, you can play him off the ball, and that’s what makes him so valuable to us.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Thibodeau said on Monday that Walker is getting “close” to returning to action from what the team has called a sore left knee, Popper writes for Newsday. Asked whether Kemba remains sidelined due to healing or conditioning, Thibodeau replied, “Probably a little bit of both. Each day he’s doing a little bit more. The main thing was letting his knee calm down. It’s done that and now ramping it up again.”
Following up on Shams Charania’s report on New York’s interest in Pistons forward Jerami Grant, Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic consider whether the 27-year-old would be a good fit for the Knicks and what a trade might look like. The Athletic’s duo suggests a hypothetical package of Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Obi Toppin, and the Knicks’ 2022 first-round pick (lightly protected), but observes that a three-for-one swap could be tricky for Detroit to accommodate.
Last season’s Most Improved Player has seen his numbers dip so far this season and has shot just 36.7% (19.4% on threes) since Christmas, but the Knicks remain confident in Julius Randle‘s ability to battle through adversity. “I don’t want anyone get wrapped up in any personal dilemmas or any of that stuff,” Thibodeau said on Monday without directly mentioning Randle (link via Ian O’Connor of The New York Post). “…There are going to be ups and downs throughout the course of the year. You’ve got to be mentally tough when you face adversity. Everyone does, right? It’s probably the most important thing in life. Sometimes it goes our way, sometimes it doesn’t. Just navigate through it all.”

Knicks’ Julius Randle Fined $25K By NBA

January 8th, 2022 at 2:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Knicks star Julius Randle has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for the egregious use of profane language during media interviews, the league announced in a press release. Randle made his comments after the team’s practice on Wednesday and after the club’s game against Boston this week.

Randle originally said that he “doesn’t give a s–t” about the outside criticism the Knicks have faced this season, as relayed by Mark Sanchez of the New York Post. According to the New York Post’s Mark Berman, the second half of his remarks came when he explained why he gave a “thumbs down” to fans at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

New York defeated Boston 108-105 in the contest, recording an important home win. For his part, Randle finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and two steals, shooting 8-of-20 from the floor and recording a plus-14 net rating. The two teams will meet again on Saturday night in Boston.

On the season, Randle has averaged 19.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. New York owns the 10th-best record in the East at 19-20.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Rose, Robinson

January 7th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

Perhaps taking a cue from Mets players who directed thumbs-down gestures toward home fans who booed them in 2021, Knicks forward Julius Randle gave a thumbs-down signal following a basket in the second half of Thursday’s comeback win over Boston, as Marc Berman writes for The New York Post.

Asked after the game what message he was hoping to convey, Randle didn’t mince words: “To shut the f–k up.”

The veteran forward hinted that it may have been a response to Knicks fans booing the team earlier the game, when the Celtics built a big lead.

“You saw that,” Randle said. “You saw what was going on with that. Forget. Forget.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Derrick Rose had been on crutches and away from the Knicks since undergoing ankle surgery on December 22, but he’s set to return the club’s practice facility to begin his rehab process, head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Thursday. “Rehab is his game right now,” Thibodeau said (link via Berman). “He just got cleared to start his physical therapy. Everything is going well. Put everything you have into that. Once it’s good for him to get out there, he’ll get out.”
Asked in a mailbag about Mitchell Robinson‘s potential future in New York, Ian Begley of SNY.tv said there are decision-makers in the organization who “don’t love what they’ve seen” from the young center this season. As Begley notes, Thibodeau recently stated that Robinson is still “behind” in his conditioning, suggesting the team believes he could be in better shape. The 23-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
In case you missed it, we passed along a few more Knicks notes on Thursday.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Toppin, Fournier, Trade Deadline, Barrett

January 6th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Rory Maher

After a slow start to the season, Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle says he’s not concerned with the reactions from the media or fans, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

I really don’t give a f— what anybody has to say, to be honest,” Randle said Wednesday. “I’m out there playing. Nobody knows the game out there better than I do, compared to what everybody has to say. So I really don’t give a s—. I just go out there and play.”

Randle scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out four assists in New York’s 104-94 victory over Indiana on Tuesday, his first game back after contracting COVID-19. His season averages of 19.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 4.9 APG on .423/.327/.767 shooting are down from last season’s All-Star campaign, when he averaged 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG on .456/.411/.811 shooting.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

In a member-only article for the New York Post, Marc Berman spoke to NBA experts to explore what has been hindering Obi Toppin‘s three-point shot. The second-year forward has carved out a rotational role off the bench this season, but is shooting just 21.1% from deep on 1.7 attempts per game.
Free agent addition Evan Fournier had been struggling of late, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t consider sending him to the bench, according to Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. “Not really,” Thibodeau said Wednesday, when asked if he had considered trying Fournier with the second unit. Never known for his defense, Fournier was shooting a career-low 40.3% from the field through 37 games this season, all starts. “Even when he’s not shooting, he spaces the floor for us, so I do like that aspect,” Thobodeau said. “The one thing [is] about trying to get our second unit to stay intact as much as we can. Those guys have played really well together for a while now.” Fournier justified Thibodeau’s faith by erupting for 41 points against Boston on Thursday.
Thibodeau was a driving force behind the team signing Fournier in the offseason, sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, who explores moves the Knicks might consider making at the trade deadline. Fischer notes that the Knicks have had internal discussions about acquiring Ben Simmons, but they’ve never called the Sixers with any type of deal structure, according to league sources. Fischer also writes that freeing a roster spot by becoming involved in the Rajon Rondo trade gives New York added flexibility ahead of the deadline.
In order for the Knicks to become a legitimate title contender, the team needs 21-year-old RJ Barrett to develop into a star, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines. Like Randle, Barrett had a strong performance on Tuesday, scoring 32 points, but his shooting percentages are down this season compared to last. Barrett banked in a game-winning three at the buzzer to beat the Celtics 108-105 on Thursday night.

COVID-19 Updates: Randle, Williams, Nurkic, Burke, Bradley

January 4th, 2022 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Julius Randle has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced today (via Twitter). Randle, who only entered the protocols last Thursday, will be listed as questionable for Tuesday night’s game vs. Indiana.

The Knicks were hit hard in December by COVID-19, but are in pretty decent shape for the time being. Nerlens Noel is the only player on the roster who is still in the protocols.

Here are more protocol-related updates from around the NBA:

Suns head coach Monty Williams has cleared the COVID-19 protocols and will return to the club for Tuesday’s game against New Orleans, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Kevin Young, who temporarily replaced Williams as Phoenix’s head coach, will revert to his assistant role.
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic broke the news on Monday that he had cleared the health and safety protocols and would be back in Portland’s starting lineup. He logged 26 minutes on Monday in his first game since December 21.
Mavericks guard Trey Burke took part in the team’s shootaround on Monday, a pretty good indication that he has exited the protocols, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Burke didn’t play on Monday, but could be back later this week.
Bulls center Tony Bradley apparently cleared the protocols on Monday, having been listed as out due to return to competition conditioning on the team’s injury report.