Julius Randle provided yet another dud on Wednesday night, scoring 11 points while shooting 5-for-12 from the floor, 0-for-3 from downtown and finishing with a -34.
It has been the continuation of a drastic downfall for Randle, who is shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 24 percent from downtown over his last 11 games. After winning the league's Most Improved Player award last season, Randle has received plenty of boos from the home fans, and after being the face of one of the most memorable Knicks seasons of the past decade, has become the face of this year's disappointment.
That disappointment may be leading New York to explore a big change.
According to SNY's Ian Begley, one team in touch with a member of the Knicks is "under the impression" that Randle would be available prior to next month's trade deadline if the right price was met. Randle signed a four-year, $117 million extension this past offseason, with Randle citing that there would be no better place to win a title than New York. But with the Knicks slipping out of the playoff picture and Randle battling himself, his previously set expectations and the Madison Square Garden fans, he could be venturing closer to a potential trade chip.
Randle would be available to be traded on Feb. 3.
Of course, the question would be what the Knicks would want for Randle, and what the market would be for the struggling All-Star. Randle was an MVP candidate last season, but that season has been an outlier so far in his eight-year career. New York would likely much prefer Randle to get back to his peak form, but if things don't improve in the coming weeks, Randle could be shopped around.
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