3 Knicks players that definitely shouldn’t be back next season
1: Julius Randle
This isn’t going to be a page dedicated to bagging Julius Randle. The reality is that he’s helped to guide the Knicks back to relevancy with two All-Star and All-NBA honors as well as two playoff appearances since signing with New York as a free agent in 2019. He had a bumpy 2021-22 season that led to a large part of the fanbase wanting to see him traded but he had quite the bounce back this season. He deserves credit for that.
The issue is that his game hasn’t translated to the playoffs. He’s averaged 17.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 15 playoff games while shooting 34.4% from the field and 28.3% from deep. With the Knicks’ season on the line in Game 6, Randle had a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, but shot 3-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-7 from deep.
Along with his playoff history, fans were rightfully frustrated with the blatant lack of effort that he put forth in New York’s Game 4 loss to Miami. That’s something that can always be controlled whether or not shots are falling, so it was discouraging to see one of the team’s leaders seemingly give up.
Julius Randle should be appreciated for what he’s given to the organization and its fans, but it’s time to move on. The priority should be building around Jalen Brunson, who undoubtedly solidified himself as the Knicks’ No. 1 option.
