Knicks Trade Rumors: Julius Randle Has Drawn Interest from 'Several Teams'

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle remains on the trade block ahead of Thursday's deadline, with Ian Begley of SNY reporting that "several teams had expressed a degree of interest."

The Sacramento Kings were one of the interested teams, but they are no longer considered an option after they acquired Domantas Sabonis in a six-player trade with the Indiana Pacers. 

Randle was an All-Star in 2020-21, but his production has slipped since signing a four-year, $117 million extension in the offseason. Through 53 games, he is averaging 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

The 27-year-old was the league's Most Improved Player last season with averages of 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, helping the Knicks earn the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Randle's struggles have coincided with New York producing just a 24-31 record so far in 2021-22, good for 12th in the conference.

It's enough for the Knicks to consider a trade, especially if it can improve salary cap flexibility going forward.

The interest around the league still makes sense considering his past production. Even if he can't replicate the 41.1 three-point shooting from last season, Randle has been an impact scorer and rebounder for the past several years and has proved to be a quality passer from the post the past two seasons.

Randle also showed signs of getting out of his slump the past week, averaging 30.0 points and 10.7 rebounds in the last three games while shooting 50 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from behind the arc.

An opposing team could get an All-Star-level player for a relatively low cost in a trade if it can work out a deal with New York.