The New York Knicks are facing an interesting dilemma with All-Star forward Julius Randle. He has one year left on his contract before a decision comes on his player option worth just north of $30 million, one he seems likely to decline to maximize his earnings. He also doesn’t quite fit the rest of the roster anymore as the Knicks have built the team around former Maverick Jalen Brunson, trading for Mikal Bridges this offseason and re-signing OG Anunoby.
What the Knicks really need is a center. Mitchell Robinson has been unreliable with his on-court availability and Precious Achiuwa isn’t someone they want to rely on in the postseason. With that in mind, ESPN Analyst Bobby Marks threw out the possibility of a trade with the Dallas Mavericks on the latest episode of the “Lowe Post Podcast,” but quickly shot it down.
Because of the Knicks’ salary constraints as a first apron tax team, they’d either have to take back a matching salary or less salary than Randle’s current $28.94 million. The Mavericks could get to that number with P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, who combine to make $28.89 million, but Marks speculated that would be too rich for the Mavericks to consider. And he’d be correct.
Washington and Gafford were a big reason why the Mavericks had success in the final 20 games of last season, helping to turn the Mavs into a defensive monster. That defensive success carried over into the postseason where Dallas went on an improbable run to the NBA Finals. Trading them away for another player who would need the ball alongside Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson doesn’t feel like it would work.
Dallas traded away their bloated salaries of Josh Green and Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason and would be unlikely to trade Washington or Gafford for a fringe All-Star like Randle if they’re not going to be a seamless fit.
Randle, who was born and raised in Dallas and attended Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, is just one of those players who doesn’t have a big market surrounding him. He’s a talented power forward but is too small to play center and isn’t quick enough defensively to guard most wings. With a new extension on the horizon for him, a lot of teams may not be willing to open up their checkbooks for him, while the Knicks are hoping to recoup some value they lost in the Mikal Bridges trade.
