The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away, and the Knicks, currently four games below .500 but still within striking distance of a spot in the play-in tournament, will have some decisions to make amid reports that the team could be looking to trade away its veteran pieces to make room for its youngsters.
Julius Randle has been named in reports, with SNY’s Ian Begley reporting that he would be available “for the right price,” and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst backed that up on Friday, saying on his latest podcast that Randle would make sense in a trade for Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, who New York has interest in acquiring.
“This has been reported elsewhere, but I've heard as well that the Knicks have shown some interest in De'Aaron Fox,” Windhorst said on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective. “The player that makes the most sense in that swap is Julius Randle.”
Multiple reports have linked the Knicks to Fox, a former top-five pick who has averaged over 20 points per game in each of the last three seasons. The 24-year-old is currently averaging 21 points per game along with 5.2 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field and a lowly 25 percent from downtown (the worst of his career).
But Fox would represent an upgrade at point guard, a position New York badly needs help with, as Kemba Walker continues to struggle and Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley haven’t provided strong solutions as a facilitator in Derrick Rose’s absence.
As for Randle, who signed a $117 million contract extension this past offseason, his honeymoon phase with the Knicks may be over amid a nosedive in production and a complicating relationship with the fanbase, who have grown frustrated in the reigning Most Improved Player.
“I’m not sure [Fox] changes that much in that trade for the Knicks,” Windhorst said. “But it certainly alleviates a deteriorating issue in New York with Julius Randle, both his relationship with Thibs and his relationship with the fans.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram