Some Knicks fans have voiced a desire to trade Julius Randle now that he is back to playing at an All-Star level, believing it best to maximize on his value now rather than risk him falling back into the swoon he was in last year.
But BT is here to say that Randle shouldn’t be going anywhere, and part of the reason is because RJ Barrett is seemingly never going to reach the value New York hoped he would have.
“Part of the reason to get rid of Randle in the eyes of many is to open a platform for RJ Barrett to shine,” BT said. “I've got news for everybody, and I'm sorry Knick fans and I'm sorry New York fans and I'm sorry to RJ Barrett's family. RJ Barrett is never, and I mean never, ever, ever, ever going to be what we hoped he would be the night he was drafted third overall. Never. He's not a great athlete, he is too streaky, he's got a loose handle and that's all there is to it.
“I mean, I watch the Knicks every single night and this kid is nowhere near an All-Star. He's just not, I can't waste time debating. It's not even debatable. So you want to trade Randle to open the door for somebody who's not as good as Randle and will never be as good as Randle?”
Randle has moved into the top 10 on the NBA’s MVP Ladder after his 37-point night against the Celtics on Thursday, while Barrett, recently signed to a four-year contract extension, shot just 6-for-18 and is shooting 43.1 percent from the field this season, and is below average from downtown.
Randle has had his own struggles as a Knick, but this season, he is more engaged on defense, is shooting much more efficiently, and is having an even better season than when he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award in 2021. That’s not a reason to try and capitalize on his trade value. It’s a reason that he can be a key piece on a winning team, and the focus should be on changing some of the pieces around him and Jalen Brunson.
“Listen, up until last night, Randle had some fourth quarter follies, some turnovers late in games, he's done that this year in the fourth quarter, even though he's had a great season,” BT said. “You are never running an offense through RJ Barrett and getting buckets the way Randle gets them. He doesn't have that skill set, he just doesn't.
“They foolishly gave Mitchell Robinson a contract, what a stutter. He's hurt again and, you know, you've got this convoluted roster of that overlaps and is not good enough to win, but I am of the mindset that Julius Randle is much more of an asset that a detriment. The guy is good.”
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