Fans have all the respect in the world for Julius Randle. However, if the Knicks want to take their window of contention seriously, then he cannot be on this team. At the very least, he cannot have as big of a role as he’s had in previous years.
The regular season numbers Randle puts up are cool and all, but the way he completely falls apart in the playoffs both as a player and from an emotional standpoint is unacceptable. While there’s always a possibility that he finally gets it together, it’s not nearly worth the risk of keeping him around.
It’s doubtful that New York could send him off directly for another star, but even if the team can just get a more consistent two-way forward who’s a better fit, they would benefit. It’s hard to replace the numbers he put up in the regular season, but come playoff time those numbers always fade and it’s better to have a role player you know you can depend on.
Leon Rose and the Knicks cannot continue to waste the time of both fans and the team by allowing Randle to continuously stink it up in the playoffs with no consequences. Fans should wish nothing but the best for him, but for the sake of his career and the Knicks’ championship hopes, Randle must go.
so many directions</a> the Knicks could take this offseason regarding the structure of their roster. While it seems like Leon Rose could be a little more aggressive than in previous years, fans still aren’t sure the degree in which he will pursue stars.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether or not this is Rose’s plan, there are still some things he should avoid doing at all costs. Whether they have short or long-term consequences, the Knicks must not pull off these three moves during the offseason.</p>
<h2>3 disastrous mistakes the New York Knicks must avoid making this offseason</h2>
<h3>3. Not re-signing Josh Hart</h3>
<p>While he may have had a relatively disappointing second-round series against the Miami Heat, there are few doubts surrounding how valuable Josh Hart was for the Knicks since the team traded for him. The energy and versatility he brought on both sides of the ball were super important for the Knicks’ playoff aspirations and went a long way in their first-round victory against the Cavaliers.</p>
<p>It’s clear that Hart loves the city and wishes to remain a Knick for a long time. However, his value on the open market may be much more than originally anticipated. Before being traded to the Knicks, Hart was playing at a solid level. After being traded to New York, Hart emerged as a borderline star and was a huge reason for the Knicks’ late-season success.</p>
<p>In the 25 games Hart played with the Knicks, he averaged 10.2 points,7.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting an absolutely ridiculous 58.6% from the field and 51.9% from three on 2.1 attempts. These numbers, alongside the things he brought to the game that won’t show up on a stat sheet, cannot be underestimated when talking about a potential extension this offseason.</p>
<p>Who knows what <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/24/3-disastrous-mistakes-knicks-avoid-making-offseason-randle/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/08/nba-rumors-executives-estimate-knicks-josh-hart-free-agency-contract/">kind of money</a> Hart will be looking for this offseason, but as long as it’s not too crazy of a price tag, there are zero excuses not to bring him back. Not only will this hurt the team’s chances of having another similar season in terms of success, but we’re sure Jalen Brunson wouldn’t be too happy either.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2023/05/24/3-disastrous-mistakes-knicks-avoid-making-offseason-randle/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> After the playoffs, this player must go </a>
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must be aware of</a> in potential trade talks.</p>
<p>Beal recently signed a five-year, $251 million contract extension with the Wizards that also includes a no-trade clause. He may be a talented player, but few players are worth over $50 million a season and Beal simply isn’t one of them. Alongside this, the aforementioned no-trade clause would make moving on from him if he doesn’t work out incredibly difficult.</p>
<p>As for Towns, his contract is arguably worse. While he may not have a no-trade clause, he is slated to make $50 million in 2024 when his contract kicks in. What makes this even more terrible is that at the end of his extension, when Towns is 31 years old, he has a player option worth a whopping $62 million. For how often he fails to step up, there is no way Towns will be worth that much.</p>
<p>These two players’ talents alone would not move the needle enough to make the team title contenders. New York taking on these contracts would be disastrous for their future cap flexibility. With how many extensions the Knicks have to hand out between Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, and potentially Obi Toppin as well, they simply cannot afford these players.</p>
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