Julius Randle on Knicks Trade Rumors: 'Sounds Like Gossip to Me'

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle dismissed any trade rumors involving himself in advance of the Feb. 10 trade deadline, calling any reports "gossip" in a chat with reporters Friday.

The question comes after ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on The Hoop Collective podcast (via RealGM) reported that the Knicks had interest in Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox.

"This has been reported elsewhere, but I've heard as well that the Knicks have shown some interest in De'Aaron Fox," Windhorst said. "The player that makes the most sense in that swap is Julius Randle."

Last year's Knicks enjoyed their best season in eight years, going 41-31 and finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference. After the season, Randle signed a four-year, $117 million deal that kept him under contract with New York through 2025 (plus a 2025-26 player option).,

The Knicks fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, but they entered this season with playoff expectations yet again, especially after acquiring a new backcourt of Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker.

This year's Knicks are on the outside looking into the playoffs in 12th place. They are 24-28 and have lost seven of their last 10.

The parity-stricken Eastern Conference doesn't have any dominant team this year, so New York is only 8.5 games behind first and 1.5 games below the Atlanta Hawks for the final play-in tournament spot.

However, the Knicks have not fared well this year. Randle in particular has struggled after an All-Star campaign last year, posting 18.5 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting after scoring 24.1 points on 45.6 percent from the field last season.

There's still time for the Randle to turn it around and the Knicks to make a move up the standings with 30 games remaining. They notably finished last year 16-4, so perhaps the Knicks can end a second straight season strong sand make a run.