New York Knicks to enter 2024-25 season NBA Last season, New York finished second in the Eastern Conference and decided to maximize its winning window.
The organization traded for star forward Mikal Bridges Brooklyn Nets, giving them another solid two-way piece for the roster. New York has one of the deepest rosters in the world NBApotentially to help avoid any injury issues that may arise.
Last season, injuries derailed the Knicks’ season. They didn’t have enough players fit to make the playoffs and ended up getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers.
The team looked for different ways to continue improving, including bringing in star forward Julius Randle. However, according to Fred Katz, an insider at The AthleticInterest in Randle within the league has not been very strong.
“Here’s what makes the discussion of hypothetical Randle trades so difficult: I don’t believe there’s a team in the NBA That would give the three-time All-Star more value than the Knicks do. I texted that question to someone who works in the front office of a rival team and got the response I expected: “Neutral, at best,” the person replied.
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One reason the Knicks might consider trading Randle is to help manage salary caps. New York already has plenty of salary on its spreadsheet and will need to offer Bridges a new contract soon.
Randle is set to make $28.9 million this season and has a $30.9 million player option next year. If the Knicks can get that amount off their salary cap, re-signing Bridges and others will become a lot less complicated.
With the new collective bargaining agreement coming into effect, New York State may have a hard time keeping its residents together. It’s likely that residents of the state will not want to exceed the dreaded second apron tax to avoid hefty penalties.
But the decision to trade Randle doesn’t mean he’s not a good player. He averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last season for New York.
The veteran forward was selected to the All-Star team for the third time and averaged at least 20 points for his fourth straight season. Randle could provide an offensive boost to another team if the Knicks trade him, and New York could get back some solid assets.
It remains to be seen whether the Knicks will make a move to trade Randle, but for now, he’s gearing up to help New York achieve its goal of winning a title.
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