Grade the Trade: Knicks land starting center by trading Randle in blockbuster pitch

The Case for Trading Randle

Two things can be true at the same time. Julius Randle has been a phenomenal addition for the New York Knicks, a prolific scorer and improved playmaker who made two All-NBA teams and was a key part of the Knicks' success. At the same time, Randle was never a Top-15 player in the league, likely not a Top-25 player, and is more of a floor-raiser on offense than someone who scales up to a championship operation.

That doesn't mean the Knicks should be quick to move off of him, however. The question of who will create shots for New York's offense other than Jalen Brunson is a real one; Mikal Bridges may be asked to do so, but having Randle as that second arm of the attack has a lot of value. Trade Randle and the burden on Brunson's shoulders is even heavier.

On the other hand, it's a very real question of how Randle fits into the ideal lineups that the Knicks want to deploy. Thibs won't play him at center, and if he, Anunoby and Bridges all start with Brunson then Donte DiVincenzo is relegated to the bench. That's likely the plan if he remains with the team, but it's certainly not their best lineup. The two-way fit is much better if DiVincenzo or Miles McBride are at the 2 and Bridges and Anunoby slide to the 3 and 4.

How much do the Knicks want to protect a player who, while extremely talented, is best deployed off the bench and is unlikely to close? If, instead, they can move Randle and address the center position, would the resulting lineups best maximize the Knicks' chances of competing for a championship over the next few years?

At the very least the Knicks need to be open to moving Randle, and perhaps should actively be including him in trade talks. With that being said, is this specific trade for Ivica Zubac the right one to make?