2 unlikely Julius Randle trades the Knicks should pursue

09/14/2024 12:13 PM

The New York Knicks are unquestionably a better team right now than they were one year ago. After trading for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa last December, they engineered a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn News for Mikal Bridges this offseason. They also put together a strong body of work in the 2024 NBA Draft and free agency.

Sure, they failed to re-sign and replace Isaiah Hartenstein, but while many folks believe head coach Tom Thibodeau will be forced to embrace small ball lineups, most agree that the sum of their offseason moves amounts to a net gain.

And all of the aforementioned moves don’t even consider the return of Julius Randle.

Randle is a dynamic yet burly player, which makes him all the more unique. He's the lone player on the roster capable of creating his own shot other than Jalen Brunson. Not having someone else to lean on to alleviate some of that strain inarguably hurt New York in the playoffs last season, so Randle's return should be an anticipated event.

And yet, there are more than a handful of people in the media and around the organization who insist on talking about a Randle trade. 

How badly do the Knicks need a backup center? 

The Knicks have an obvious need at center. Put differently, they have no back up. Sure, Achiuwa re-signed with the team, but he is ideally suited to be a situational center. After all, he is only six-foot-eight, and the difference between six-foot-eight and seven-feet in height is way more than one might assume. A longer body usually means (as long or) longer arms, which translates to a greater ability to protect the rim. It also means generating more power with less girth, because a longer body is inherently bigger and, therefore, harder to move. 

Now, New York was (unrealistically) hoping to return Mitchell Robinson and Hartenstein for the 2024-25 season and beyond, as they complemented each other brilliantly. With Hartenstein signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency, though, the Knicks must now rely on their injury-prone big man to handle the middle on his own, which isn’t exactly what they want to do.

Through six complete seasons in the NBA, Robinson has played in 70 or more games only once (72 in 2021-22). In fact, he's only played in 60 or more games three times, and he's missed games for a myriad of reasons. Most recently, it's been a recurring ankle injury. This isn't his first bout with ankle issue, though, as he’s missed time across several seasons due to ankle ailments. He's also missed significant time due to a broken hand, a knee injury, and a sprained thumb. Given all that, a real backup center certainly wouldn’t hurt New York

Knicks could cash in on Julius Randle

Unfortunately, if the Knicks want to acquire a backup center, it might just cost them Julius Randle, one of the very few players on the team with a clearly defined role. Given the logjam of big wings who can play the three and four spots, though, that might not be the worst thing.

Looking past the fact that Randle could be brilliant alongside this much support, it’s important to remember that New York is fresh off advancing to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals without him.

So, let's look around the league for possible trade partners.  Let’s be as fair as possible regarding hypothetical trades, as most deals we’ve seen thus far have the Knicks giving up far more than they return. Let’s also be as realistic as possible, identifying only trade partners with a potential interest in Randle. Finally, it's important to remember that New York cannot take back more salary than it sends out. 

With that being said, only two teams stand out as possibilities. And neither partner seems terribly likely given the recent histories between the Knicks and both of them. Still, there could be value in exploring the following deals.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers front court could use an injection of offense. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are far from a dynamic pairing, and Allen is the more obvious odd man out, as he is older and less offensively capable than Mobley. Further, the fact that Allen is signed through the 2028-29 season makes the idea of him ending his current deal elsewhere all the more likely.

So, maybe the Knicks and Cavs strike up a dialogue. Randle-for-Allen almost works as is, as Allen will make $20 million in 2024-25 and Randle will make about $29 million. Cleveland could add in Georges Niang, who will make about $8.5 million, or they could add another $8 or so million through the addition of a number of lesser-known players.

Either way, this deal would undoubtedly interest New York. Adding Allen to the team’s front court as either a backup center or a starter (with Robinson sliding to the bench) immensely improves their depth. Both teams would probably feel like they’re giving up too much, but that’s usually the sign of a fair deal. Would it make the Knicks better? That’s debatable, but it would solve their hole in the middle. And that’s what this exercise is all about.

It’s worth mentioning that Allen can’t be traded until mid-January. So, if the Knicks wanted to move Julius Randle here, they would have to wait a bit.

Atlanta Hawks

New York would be wise to engage the Atlanta Hawks in trade talks, too, especially if they’re keen on the idea of adding a big to win this season. Clint Capela is still the presumable opening day starter in Atlanta for 2024-25, with the Hawks still waiting to turn center responsibilities over to Onyeka Okongwu, their 2020 lottery pick.

Capela is set to make slightly more than $22 million on an expiring deal. If Atlanta is dead set on maintaining the space between their projected cap number ($172 million), the first apron ($8.6 million), and the second apron ($16.1 million), they could add another player or two (e.g., Dyson Daniels, $6 million) to the deal and ask for someone like Miles McBride in return.

New York would probably balk at this type of a deal, as Randle is clearly the best player in the deal. But if the Knicks feel they must add an elite center, Capela is among the best that could be available.

While it would be unwise to make a move without seeing how Julius Randle fits with this iteration of the Knicks and how he plays in a small ball lineup, it’s understandable that Knicks’ leadership is exploring their options. But if the lack of a meaningful backup center hurts the Knicks more than Randle helps, they might have to consider these types of deals. It would be a tough pill to swallow for Knicks’ fans, but it could be another move toward their first championship in more than 50 years.

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