3 Teams that could try to trade for Julius Randle amid Knicks extension speculation
1. Phoenix Suns
Minnesota swept Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs. Since Kevin Durant arrived before the 2023 trade deadline, the Suns haven't made it to the Western Conference Finals. Phoenix's future draft pick situation is bleak, so maybe the front office is considering trying to recoup some of the assets it has lost in trades.
Durant has two full seasons left on his current contract. If he wants to be traded (again) or if the Suns want to trade him, maybe the Knicks will be interested. If so, Randle could head to Arizona to help make salaries match.
In his end-of-the-season press conference, Mat Ishbia preached building continuity, but his actions could prove otherwise. Maybe Phoenix is keeping tabs on Randle, especially if the front office is pondering a KD trade (or if KD is pondering one).
Same with the other players mentioned, New York would have to be careful about trading for Durant. He's one of the league's all-time top players, but he's six years older than Randle. Since leaving the Warriors in 2019, KD hasn't enjoyed much postseason success.
Just because teams are monitoring Randle's situation doesn't mean that the Knicks are thinking about trading him. Maybe they'll extend him because they want to run it back next season. Based on what fans have said, that seems to be the preferred option.