Knicks Rumors: Trading Julius Randle, Karl-Anthony Towns, more
Catching you up on the latest rumors surrounding the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks learned their 2019-20 season is officially over this week, as the league will resume play with only 22 teams in Orlando, Florida. With the 2020-21 campaign not expected to start until December 1, at the earliest, it leaves plenty of time for people to speculate on how the roster will look in the future, and who will coach it.
Let’s get you caught up on a few rumors circulating this weekend.
Knicks open to trading Julius Randle
In response to a mailbag question, Marc Berman of the New York Post indicated the Knicks are “undoubtedly” open to trading forward Julius Randle. This should come as no surprise with a new regime taking over the decision-making, even though general manager Scott Perry remains.
Randle was signed last offseason to a three-year, $62 million deal with the third season not fully-guaranteed (only $4 million). After a frustrating season with Randle dominating the basketball in the offense, many Knicks fans are ready to move on from the bully-ball forward. But it could prove difficult for the front office to trade his contract at a time when teams are going to be cash strapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Perhaps the most realistic timing of a Randle trade could be in the middle of next season if they find a deal for a star player and need to exchange Randle’s salary to make the the financials work. As it stands now, New York has flexibility to acquire players in the offseason without moving salary since they will have plenty of cap space.
Randle is still represented by CAA, the agency where Leon Rose used to work. Who knows if that will play a role in how Rose views Randle as a player.
Trending. Could Mike Miller remain as an assistant?. light
A no-go for Karl-Anthony Towns?
In the never-ending game of aligning star players to the Knicks as possible saviors, Karl-Anthony Towns name is often mentioned. The New Jersey native grew up a Knicks fan, and he has been mentioned as a potential trade target in passing rumors.
However, Marc Berman of the New York Post believes if the Knicks hire Tom Thibodeau as their next head coach, which seems increasingly likely, it could prevent the team from acquiring Towns, since Thibs and the young All-Star have a strained relationship from their time together in Minnesota.
Chris Childs play-by-play of Larry Johnson’s 4-point play
Celebrating the anniversary of Larry Johnson’s 4-point play in Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, former Knick Chris Childs joined Knicks Fan TV to re-live the moment.
Could the Knicks play in a mini summer league?
The Knicks are one of eight teams left out of the NBA’s return-to-play plan. While it is probably for the best, both from a health standpoint and to allow the team to focus on off-court business such as hiring a new coach and scouting the upcoming draft, it does leave the organization in the dark for up to ten months before playing a competitive game again.
As the league grapples with the new reality created by Covid-19, ESPN reports teams excluded from Orlando have proposed ideas for regional mini summer leagues to remain sharp during the long break.
New York last played on March 11, and it’s possible they won’t play again until late December. It would be beneficial if they could find an opportunity to work in some kind of competitive environment, perhaps with a new coach in place, instead of sitting completely on the sidelines until next season.
New guarantee dates
The Knicks have four veterans on non-guaranteed contracts for next season. As much as pundits killed New York for their free agent spending last summer, Steve Mills and Scott Perry gave the organization flexibility in adding team options and non-guarantees to most of their signings.
With the league calendar completely revamped due to Covid-19, the guarantee dates for Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, and Taj Gibson have been pushed from June 28 until either October 17 or 18, according to Bobby Marks.
This means the Knicks have plenty of time to decide whether they will keep any of those veterans on their roster for the 2020-21 season. They each have $1 million protections if waived. It would seem Reggie Bullock, who is owed $4.2 million if fully-guaranteed, is the only player who is a relative lock to return, at least on his current contract.