The New York Knicks put together their best season in nearly a decade, as they finished with 47 wins and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Jalen Brunson's first season with the team was very successful and after taking a step backwards a season ago, Julius Randle once again proved to be on of the most impactful players in the league by earning All-Star and All-NBA honors.
It is extremely tough to play any sport in New York given the high expectations from the fans and media, but the Knicks have a lot of momentum to build off of heading into the offseason. Team president Leon Rose and general manager Scott Perry will be looking to make some moves in order to really make their team a championship threat in the East, but it is unlikely that they will move on from Randle at this time.
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto recently spoke with both Ian Begley from SNY and Stefan Bondy from New York Daily News on the HoopsHype podcast regarding the Knicks' upcoming offseason and Randle's future with the team was a key talking point.
“In talking with Knicks brass in the front office, they value his toughness and his ability to stay on the court,” Scotto said. “He’s played 71 or more games in three consecutive seasons and been an All-Star two of the past three seasons, which is something I think is notable in the load management era… To me, I think it’s going to be tough for them to find the value the way they value him.”
Both Begley and Bondy went on to agree with Scotto's point of view, as Bondy made the point that the past issues regarding Randle's attitude and perception in the locker room are “fixable issues” the All-Star has worked on over the course of the last year.
The Knicks find themselves in an interesting spot this offseason because they are right in the thick of things looking at the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but they still seem to be missing something in order to be a true championship contender. Having movable contracts and a handful of tradeable draft assets through the years, New York could look to be super aggressive in the offseason to add another star to their roster, something the Knicks have been rumored to want to do for quite some time.
Trading Randle is certainly something this organization would consider should an offer come their way, but it is highly unlikely that they would actually pull the trigger on a deal involving the two-time All-Star. There are just a handful of players in this league who are valued higher than Randle right now in terms of production and contract, which is why the Knicks would be smart to keep him around.
In 77 regular season games this year, Randle averaged 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor.
Losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals was a letdown for the Knicks given how well they played in their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but there is a lot to like about this team heading into the 2023-24 season. This offseason, New York will look to expand their overall talent with both Brunson and Randle at the forefront of their immediate long-term plans.
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