The Knicks find themselves in a dilemma heading into the offseason.
They have a somewhat complicated financial situation, as they don’t have much money to work with and have to worry about re-signing both Anunoby and center Isaiah Hartenstein. Ultimately, that could lead to New York seriously entertaining the Randle trade.
But would the Knicks move him?
Randle injured his shoulder in late January and ended up missing the rest of the season. New York managed to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and push the Indiana Pacers to seven games in the second round of the playoffs without him. It should also be noted that the Knicks have had numerous other injuries and very well could have beaten the Pacers without Randle if they had been healthier.
Clearly, that means New York can legitimately compete in the East even without Randle’s services.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Knicks are a better team without him.
Randle averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and five assists in 35.4 minutes per game this season, shooting 47.2 percent from the floor, 31.1 percent from three-point range and 78.1 % from the free throw line. He posted a rather modest win rate of .113 per 48 minutes.
New York initially signed Randle in free agency in July 2019. He signed an extension with the Knicks during the summer of 2021 and has one year left on his contract before he has the option to opt out next offseason.
Randle is eligible for a four-year, $181 million contract extension with New York, but the Knicks would pay him $45 million per year under those circumstances. This could potentially prevent the club from adding more pieces in the future, especially if New York also re-signs Anunoby.
As you can see, the Knicks have a dilemma on their hands. Randle has ingratiated himself with fans in the Big Apple and has certainly helped put the Knicks back on the map after a couple of decades of near-irrelevance.
At the same time, holding him back in a big deal could have disastrous consequences.