Patrick Beverley will forever be known for stirring up competitive controversies both on and off the court. It's all in good fun, especially on the Pat Bev Pod, which is where the show's star suggested that All-Star Julius Randle would be better off with the Sacramento Kings. Randle is currently with the New York Knicks but has seeming fallen out of favor since last season's Eastern Conference Finals run.
For those who have forgotten over this long Olympics-filled offseason, that ECF run by the Knicks was made without Randle in the rotations. Since coming to New York in 2019, Randle has been a cornerstone of the franchise by averaging 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game over five seasons. The Knicks have made three playoff appearances while Randle earned three All-Star nods and made two All-NBA Teams.
Now the Knicks exploring trades for Randle is not surprising. The ever-opinionated, never-shy Beverley was asked what was going on with Randle and a possible Knicks' trade.
“Man I don't know,” Beverley admitted. “It's tough when you sign all of those guys at that position. (They are Randle's) size, his type of players. I mean, the writing is on the wall. When the Clippers got James Harden I knew Paul George would be out of there. I mean, one plus one is two.”
Knicks no longer need Julius Randle
The “Nova Knicks” seem to be pivoting towards a direction less reliant on Randle, who now has an uncertain future with the team. Beverley's co-host pointed out that Randle's jersey is no longer being sold in the team's flagship store.
“Took his **** right out,” Beverley added. “In their defense though, they had a lot of success without him. Probably the most success the Knicks done had since Julius Randle been on the team. I like to look at both sides. Like, (for Randle) it's like damn. Just a year ago his jerseys were everywhere. But also just a year ago (the Knicks) were struggling to get in the NBA Playoffs.”
“It ain't personal. It's never personal. It's always business. You can't take it personally, not in the NBA.”
The solution to the problem is simple, per Beverley. A Julius Randle trade to the Sacramento Kings helps everyone.
“I'd like to see him with the Sacramento Kings,” shared Beverley. “That'd be nice, him in Sac. That would be different.”
De'Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis with Randle would be something unique in the highly competitive Western Conference. Would it be enough to earn a top-six seed and avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament? That just depends on how much of the supporting cast has to be re-routed to a third team. The Knicks are stacked and will want mostly draft capital in return.
That's why a deal for someone like New Orleans Pelicans wingman Brandon Ingram might make more sense from a fit perspective. However, that would take Randle back to a team that did not want to pay a premium back in 2019, just before he had breakout seasons with the Knicks. Those storylines are just a few to watch coming out of the Big Apple and Big Easy before training camp.
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