After Julius Randle’s second bad season in the three years he’s been with the New York Knicks, it may be time to finally move on from the veteran power forward. While there is certainly potential for Randle to turn things around and return to being a solid role player like he was in the past, there’s an even bigger chance that it won’t happen.
Whether it be because of a Donovan Mitchell trade, the simple lack of need for Randle, or a potentially even worse season than the last, it may be time for Randle to play for a new team.
This could be avoided, though, if Randle understands that he must have the ball in his hands less and become more of an off-ball player. However, Randle has not played like this in three years. I doubt that he will suddenly change his mindset.
Here are 3 Julius Randle-Knicks trade scenarios that we could see unfold:
1. Julius Randle and Evan Fournier to the Lakers for Russell Westbrook, a 2027 FRP, and two future SRP
This is a little interesting, as Russell Westbrook is certainly not a good fit for the Knicks. However, Westbrook is set to make $47 million next year. While he is unlikely to accept a buyout, the Knicks could pull off a trade and either sit or bench Westbrook to allow his contract to expire, which would clear up a ton of cap space.
While the combination of Randle and Fournier is certainly better than Westbrook, that is not saying much. I understand Fournier is an elite shooter, however, I’d much rather clear up minutes for players like Cam Reddish, Quentin Grimes, and Obi Toppin. In addition to this, the cap space the Knicks will clear could be much more valuable than any of the players in this deal.
The other key piece in this deal is the Lakers’ 2027 first-round pick. By that time it is likely that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be gone, meaning that this pick has the potential to have a ton of value.
As for Randle and Fournier, not only will this trade clear up room for some of the younger players to develop, but they will also both be great fits next to LeBron, with Randle likely being more willing to go back to his old off-ball ways.
This trade would work great for both teams as the Lakers would get two players who both fit better than Westbrook and the Knicks would get valuable cap space and picks.
2. Julius Randle for Gordon Hayward and two SRP
With the recent news surrounding Miles Bridges, as it is likely that he may never play again, the Hornets are going to need a new power forward. With that in mind, I believe a good deal that would work for both teams would involve Gordon Hayward, a 2024 second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick for Julius Randle.
Not only would New York get a great shooter and all-around offensive threat who doesn’t require the ball in his hands much, but Charlotte would also get the power forward that the team now desperately needs.
While Hayward would likely come off the bench as he isn’t a good fit at power forward, the Knicks could use his shooting. This deal would also clear up minutes for Obi Toppin to become the starting power forward for New York.
As for the Hornets, they’d get a secondary playmaker and ballhandler who also has the potential to go back to being an elite rim runner next to LaMelo Ball.
The Hornets have plenty of wing players with Kelly Oubre and Cody Martin, however, their real gap is at power forward after losing Bridges. While I understand why Charlotte may not want to do this deal, I believe that if Randle goes back to being a primary slasher who could still be a playmaker, he could provide some great play for the team.
3. Julius Randle for Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, and a 2026 FRP (top 10 protected):
This deal is a little more interesting than the other ones, as this is probably the least amount of value the Knicks would receive out of the three trades. However, the Knicks could use a two-way stretch big like Maxi Kleber off the bench. And this deal, like the other two, would slide Obi Toppin into the starting lineup.
If this deal would happen, it would be likely that Tim Hardaway Jr. would either take a small role off the bench or potentially be swapped in a future deal later down the line, making him more of a filler piece in this deal.
As for the Mavericks, after losing Jalen Brunson, they could use another ballhandler on the team, or if Randle wants to, an elite rim runner to put next to Luka Doncic. A lot of the effects of these deals from the perspective of the other teams would be determined by the role that Randle would take on in his new deal.
The final piece of this deal is the 2026 top 10 protected first-round pick, which, assuming that Doncic is still with the Mavericks at the time, might not have the highest value. However, it is still a first-round pick that the Knicks could potentially use in another deal (*cough cough Donovan Mitchell cough cough*).
While this is certainly one of the weirder deals I have seen surrounding Randle, I still believe that it has high upside for both teams.
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