LOS ANGELES — Julius Randle considers recent trade rumors surrounding him as flimsy as tinsel.
After Friday’s practice at UCLA, Randle interrogated this reporter on the authors of an alleged push by Knicks management to trade him by the Feb. 10 deadline.
“Who reported it? Who reported it?’’ Randle repeatedly said.
The Post reported after last month’s Cam Reddish trade that management considers everything on the table after stockpiling another asset. An SNY report confirmed the Knicks are open to trading the former Lakers lottery pick, but only for a significant package.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst confirmed multiple reports, including The Post’s, that Sacramento point guard De’Aaron Fox is on the Knicks’ radar, with Randle being the only pawn who would make sense in such a deal.
The idea has swirled around social media like Pacific Ocean waves.
“That sounds like gossip to me,’’ Randle snapped before facing the Lakers Saturday night.
Indeed, the Randle trade rumors seem overblown, but it’s worth considering what Randle’s trade value is now that he failed to be named to the 2022 All-Star Game. He’s 27 years old — the beginning of his prime years.
“Not now,’’ one NBA GM told The Post when asked if Randle has decent trade value.
Another Western Conference personnel director said the totality of Randle’s career is an issue. Randle never competed in a playoff game until his seventh season — which was last year. But if superstars are made in the playoffs, the 6-foot-8 freight train came up very small against Atlanta last spring.
“I think you could look at last season as more an anomaly,’’ one Western Conference personnel director said. “This season is more akin to his first six seasons.’’
Randle’s numbers aren’t bad at all — he entered Saturday averaging 18.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. But the efficiency is nowhere near 2020-21.
Randle’s field-goal percentage is a career-low 41.4 percent (not counting his one-game rookie year). Randle’s 3-point percentage is most noticeably down — from a blazing 41.1 percent to 30.3 percent.
“You go through phases,’’ Randle said at UCLA. “You shoot the ball well, you don’t shoot the ball good. It’s basketball. Nothing changed for me.”
But perception has, and it can shape a player’s value, too, for team owners as much as analytics.
Randle’s thumbs-down gesture to Knicks fans (the worst thing a pro athlete can do), his persistent haggling with referees and media boycott doesn’t look good to those signing the checks.
Though opposing coaches have great respect for Randle by loading up their defense toward stopping him, The Post has also reported Tom Thibodeau has had trouble coaching Randle this season into being more of a selfless player. Some in the organization wonder if his new contract extension has made him feel he needs to do too much.
“It’s a low trade value,’’ another NBA scout said. “He hasn’t come across as a good teammate. He has played selfish. His contract isn’t an issue. Perception is.’’
Randle signed a $117 million maximum contract extension, but he’s far from netting max money next season. That has to help. When Randle faced the contract dilemma last August, he knew he could have waited until 2022 and signed a four-year, $200 million deal.
At the time, people around Randle said he didn’t want to wait because he hoped to give the Knicks flexibility in signing players in 2022. However, Knicks president Leon Rose, who hasn’t spoken to reporters since September, still has no cap space this summer.
“I just trust them, man,’’ Randle said of Rose and top adviser William Wesley. “I think they do a great job. That’s part of the reason we talked in the summer, when I signed my extension. I trust them.’’
It would seem illogical for Rose-Wesley to give up on Randle this soon after the extension until he builds up his trade value. Considering Randle was an All-Star and named second team All-NBA in 2021, his value should be higher.
“Randle was as good as he’ll ever be last season,’’ another scout chimed in.
“He’s not going to ever be better than that — only worse.’’
That said, could Randle fetch a player with the young upside of Fox, who is three years younger than Randle, or Detroit power forward Jerami Grant? One league executive believes it’s not impossible by adding a first-round pick to Randle, but that might speak more about Fox’s and Grant’s declining status.
Fox, the Sacramento point guard out of Kentucky, is shooting just 24.8 percent from 3, has been out with knee woes and hasn’t won in the NBA.
If the Knicks actually move on from Randle, it will be because of a giant belief Obi Toppin can fill in as starting power forward. However, Thibodeau hasn’t been a huge Toppin fan.
Unless trading Randle is a directive from the always impatient James Dolan, it is hard to imagine Randle winds up elsewhere during this five-game, make-or-break West Coast trip.
Dolan recently took the hit for Randle, a CAA client, for not talking to the media, absorbing a $25,000 fine. For the most part, Randle has talked when requested and showed some fight Friday when the rumors arose, chiding this reporter: “You’re just making stuff up,’’ he said.
“I just think he’s great,’’ Randle said of Dolan. “I’ve talked to him, obviously. He’s our team owner, so I have a relationship with him. I think he’s super supportive in us as players. I appreciate it.
“I trust Wes, trust Leon, trust Scott [Perry], trust Jim, everybody. I feel like they’ll do what’s best for the team. I’ll ride with it whatever way they go.’’
Credit: Source link
