7 Knicks free agent targets with ties to Julius Randle

Knicks Free Agent Target No. 3: D’Angelo Russell, Point Guard

Going back to Randle’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers, he and a young point guard named D’Angelo Russell made sweet music on offense. Russell was the crafty passer on the perimeter and Randle was the bowling ball on the interior knocking through opponents as if they were pins. Those teams didn’t win a lot, but they certainly scored points.

Russell has made his way around the league over the past few seasons, starting in Brooklyn, Golden State, and Minnesota before landing back on the Lakers at this year’s Trade Deadline. He continues to be a gifted passer and talented scorer, but the inconsistency of his motor and defensive limitations leave question marks for any team looking to invest heavily in the 27-year-old point guard.

The Lakers may re-sign Russell this summer and take him off the market, but it’s also possible that they go in a different direction and let Russell find a new team. Would the Knicks be interested? On the one hand, Russell could be available at a discount compared to his offensive punch, and having a secondary ball-handler and playmaker would open things up for Jalen Brunson and give the Knicks 48 solid minutes at the point.

Would Russell be available for the MLE? Almost certainly not, which means the Knicks would need to open up cap space to sign him. Is he worth going after? If they didn’t have Jalen Brunson already on board, perhaps, but Russell is not better than Brunson and introduces some team-building constraints if they sign him. This old teammate of Randle’s is unlikely to make it to New York.