Knicks Rumors: From Hero To Possibly Zero, Randle Could Be Moved At Trade Deadline

After a promising year where he won the NBA's Most Improved Player and officially became an All-Star, Julius Randle has gone the opposite direction.

His production has dipped compared to last NBA season although they are still respectable. In 47 games, the 27-year-old has managed to average 18.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5 assists in 35.3 minutes of action.

However, the 7th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers set the bar high for Knicks’ fans. Most were looking up to him as the next big thing in the Big Apple but his performance has dipped considerably.

It has been RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin endearing themselves to fans with Randle struggling. Worse, the 6-foot-8 big man stirred some controversy for comments he made on Knicks fans.

Given those facts, it appears Randle may be a prime candidate to be traded at some point. The earliest time that may happen is on Feb. 10, the NBA trade deadline.

However, head coach Tom Thibodeau has not lost his faith in Randle and remains confident that things may change for the Texas native.

“Players are going to go through things,” Thibodeau stated. “Don’t let that take away from any intensity that you have. Oftentimes it’s the hustle plays that get you going, that’s probably the biggest thing.”

It remains to be seen if Randle can make the necessary adjustments to replicate his 2020-21 performance. Thibodeau is pinning his hopes that Randle can do so.

“He’s proven to be a good player,” Thibodeau said, “and he’ll get back to that.”

Randle was rewarded with a $117 million extension in the summer and appeared to have found a new home after bouncing around to different teams. He started with the Lakers before breaking out with the New Orleans Pelicans.

If he stays on, the road will not be easy for the former Kentucky Wildcat. He will need to focus harder and hope his performance with the Knicks last season was no fluke.