The New York Knicks are one team that many people are keeping an eye on during the 2024 NBA Offseason. Rumors have swirled about potential trades the team could make to upgrade their roster. One team that could be a trade partner for them is the Utah Jazz.
Over at Heavy on Sports, an NBA executive spoke to them about a potential swap centered around Julius Randle and Lauri Markkanen. The quote was shared via KnicksMuse on X, as the executive pitched a potential trade that would swap the All-Star big men.
Randle would be on his way to Salt Lake City, along with five or six first-round picks, in exchange for Markkanen in the opinion of the executive. The only time a trade like that would get accepted is with forced trades turned on in NBA 2K.
That is an insane trade proposal for several reasons. The paramount being, Randle is a much better player than Markkanen. While Markkanen has developed into an All-Star caliber player, Randle is already at that level and higher, earning two All-NBA nods as well.
Not only would New York be surrendering the better player, but attaching five or six first-round picks to him would be organizational malpractice. Leon Rose has done a wonderful job building this roster and stockpiling assets; he isn’t going to unload them for a downgrade in the front court.
The only way the Knicks are going to trade Randle along with that kind of draft capital is for a bonafide upgrade. Think of someone along the lines of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is an MVP-caliber player. That isn’t to say Antetokounmpo is available, but the team has to be convinced the player being brought in to replace Randle would raise the ceiling.
Making a deal like that would the Jazz would not qualify. There are certainly positives Markkanen brings to the mix, such as his 3-point shooting. But he isn’t anywhere near the playmaker or shot creator that Randle is.
When Randle was healthy alongside OG Anunoby in the frontcourt, the Knicks were the best team in the NBA. Running it back and hoping for some better injury luck would be infinitely better than making a trade such as the one suggested by the executive with the Jazz.
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