Knicks could dangle Julius Randle as next trade piece
On Saturday, the New York Knicks shocked the NBA world when they traded away RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round pick for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malaki Flynn.
On paper, the trade appears to be an overpay on New York's part. There was likely a robust trade market for Qucikley as the Feb. 8 trade deadline drew near.
However, according to an NBA executive who spoke with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Knicks are in a good spot. They didn't give up any of their first-round picks in the deal with the Toronto Raptors, and they still have Julius Randle as a potential high-caliber trade chip.
“My initial reaction was the Knicks overpaid because of the hypothetical value you could maybe get for Quickley on paper in a separate deal,” The executive told Scotto. “But the Knicks are in a good place to use Julius Randle and picks to make another big move, so that justifies them giving up two of their scoring options. Anunoby’s health is also a factor that’ll help determine how this trade ages.”
Randle, 29, is enjoying a solid season for the Knicks. He's averaging 23.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 47% shooting from the field and 28.1% from three-point range.
He has also been named as an All-Star in two of the last three seasons and could be closing in on his third selection. As such, Randle would likely be a legitimate trade chip should the Knicks choose to package him with some first-round draft assets.
However, if they choose to keep Randle on their roster, they have added size and length with Anunoby, and that should solidify the team's wing defense. Randle has two years remaining on his four-year $106M deal, with an annual average salary of $29M.
As such, any team entering into negotiations for the powerful forward will likely be looking to remain competitive rather than hitting the reset button.
With that in mind, the potential pool of trade partners that would be willing to absorb Randle's contract is likely slim, which could lead to some creative negotiations in the coming weeks and months.
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