As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the New York Knicks figure to be a big player as they have a lot of parts on the roster that don’t contribute much to winning, but could be valuable pieces elsewhere.
Julius Randle, a first-time All-Star last season was not selected to this year’s team, and Knicks fans would be the first to tell you that he was not deserving of the honor this year.
While his numbers look good to the naked eye, if you take a look under the hood you’ll see that his shooting percentages are down across the board and his efficiency has taken a nose dive.
While he has a 4-year, $117 million contract ahead of him to play out, Randle might not prove to be the long-term answer to the Knicks, despite what he’s saying publicly.
For the time being, the Knicks do appear committed to their talented big man, but that could just mean the right offer hasn’t come along. A name that has frequently been linked to New York is De’Aaron Fox.
The Sacramento Kings point guard has been viewed as somebody who’s on the market, and perhaps a swap of two stars is what both teams need. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on his podcast the Knicks have shown an interest in the Kings star.
Fox For Randle
GettyCould a swap of stars be in order?
For starters, Fox is sporting a massive 5-year, $163 million contract, so he’d be a player that’s under team control for years to come. This would make him a very lucrative piece for the Knicks, but it’d likely come at the cost of their own star.
In order to match that salary, the Knicks would most likely have to throw in Randle, at least according to Windhorst.
“This has been reported elsewhere, but I’ve heard as well that the Knicks have shown some interest in De’Aaron Fox,” he said. “The player that makes the most sense in that swap is Julius Randle.”
This is far from the first time a swap like this has been mentioned, but with the Knicks clearly in need of upgrades, this could be what it takes to get the team back on the right track.
With fans and media members turning more and more Randle by the day, his best option might be to play out the remainder of his own massive contract in Sacramento.
Knicks Need a Point Guard
GettyNew York Knicks point guard Kemba Walker looks on before a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Sacramento Kings point guard is averaging 21 points per game to go along with 5.3 assists, so he’d definitely provide a lot to a Knicks team that sort of has a black hole at point guard.
Derrick Rose has been out for the past month because of an injury and Kemba Walker looks to be just about down providing any value to a team, at least as a starter and one of the main scoring options.
Fox would answer a lot of the questions, but if they come at the expense of Randle, it might open up many more. Obi Toppin would figure to fill in at power forward, but we haven’t gotten a chance to see if he is ready for starter minutes as Thibodeau doesn’t really play him like that currently.
Only time will tell what the plan is for the Knicks going forward.
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