3 early Knicks predictions for 2023 trade deadline

1: Julius Randle will be traded

This prediction is No. 1 for obvious reasons, but remember, it’s just a prediction. It isn’t because Julius Randle has been playing poorly and the Knicks need to move on from him after failing to do so during the offseason. Instead, because of how well Randle has been playing, he could draw interest ahead of the trade deadline.

Even if New York miraculously manages to make it to the play-in tournament to then advance to the playoffs, the team isn’t going to make it past the first round. Jalen Brunson was a great offseason addition, but because the Knicks are still without a star, they’re going to remain toward the bottom half of the Eastern Conference.

Randle isn’t the future of New York, either. Even after a phenomenal 2020-21 season that resulted in a four-year extension, the Knicks aren’t going to make it back to the playoffs behind Randle’s heroic efforts again. It would be in the front office’s best interest to shop Randle, not only for Obi Toppin’s sake but also to gauge what they’d be able to get in return.

His extension kicked in at the start of the year and he’s making $23.8 million this season. He will make $25.7 million in 2023-24 and $27.5 million in 2024-25 before having a $29.5 million player option in 2025-26. Getting his contract off the books would free up additional space for New York to go after the star that the organization has been waiting for.

The front office needs to at least think about trading Julius Randle, especially while his value is far higher than it was last season.

2 teams that might be desperate enough to trade for Knicks’ Evan Fournier

As Evan Fournier continues to rack up DNPs for the New York Knicks, a trade will likely happen before the February deadline.