HIGHLIGHTS
- The New York Knicks have had a busy offseason, but there’s more to be done.
- New York still needs to upgrade the center spot after Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure.
- These three players could be traded if the Knicks want even more upgrades to their roster.
The  have been a main talking point of the 2024 NBA offseason after having one of the most successful summers of any team so far.
The Knicks locked down their wing tandem for the foreseeable future by trading for Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby , creating arguably the best defensive duo in basketball to challenge the  at the top of the Eastern Conference.
New York also solidified their guard depth behind Jalen Brunson , drafting Tyler Kolek out of Marquette with the 34th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and signing veteran point guard Cameron Payne to a cheap one-year deal.
This roster now looks deeper and more complete than any Knicks group in over two decades, and it appears that Madison Square Garden will finally house a true contender in 2024-25.
However, the Knicks still have some questions to answer about their roster, making future moves inevitable. Here are the three most likely trade candidates left on the team.
Julius Randle
The three-time All-Star could be the odd man out
Julius Randle has long been an underrated player for the Knicks despite his continuous improvement and huge role in the turnaround of what was the league’s worst organization in 2019.
In five years with the team, the Kentucky product has been a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection and is the second-biggest reason for the Knicks’ resurgence.
He came to the franchise when no one else wanted to play for the Knicks, which makes it unfortunate that he could be the one left behind as they finally contend for a championship.
Sadly for Randle, he is the obvious odd man out if New York decides to switch up the roster dynamic one last time before next season or at the trade deadline.
This is the case for several reasons, including his questionable fit and poor playoff performances.
Randle is a clunky fit with a new roster that includes Bridges because he has the tendency to be a black hole once he touches the ball.
That will clash with the Knicks’ likely new offensive system based on ball and player movement.
New York now has five players who are comfortable with the ball in their hands: Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. That list doesn’t include solid offensive guys like Miles McBride and Josh Hart .
New York needs guys who will make quick decisions off the catch and keep the ball rotating smoothly to create advantages for their teammates. They will always have several players on the floor who can capitalize.
Randle is a bully-ball isolation scorer, and he is extremely effective at it; but most of the one-on-one possessions that are left over should go solely to Brunson, leaving Randle a bit out of his element.
Randle’s playoff struggles may be a bit overstated, as he’s had two chances on the biggest stage: one in which his second-best scorer was Derrick Rose or Alec Burks on a defensive-minded squad and one in which he played through a brutal ankle sprain that required immediate surgery after the season.
However, New York needs elite performances from its best players if it wants to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and Randle might not be able to meet that standard.
Julius Randle’s Playoff Struggles | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Season | PPG | RPG | APG | TS% |
2020-21 | 18.0 | 11.6 | 4.0 | 42.5 |
2022-23 | 16.6 | 8.3 | 3.6 | 48.5 |
New York may be better off flipping Randle for a star that fits better with the lineup or a couple of connective role players to tie everything together.
If he doesn’t adjust to their new playing style and prioritize playmaking, rebounding, cutting and team basketball over isolation scoring, Randle’s time in the Big Apple may come to an end.
Miles McBride
Despite an incredible 2023-24 campaign, ‘Deuce’ could be on the chopping block
Miles “Deuce” McBride had a remarkable career transformation in 2023-24, going from a bench warmer to occasional playing time to being a role player to a crucial starter on a good playoff team.
His role increase was partly necessary due to a pileup of injuries, but McBride was a completely different player last year.
Drafted to be a point-of-attack defensive demon out of “Press Virginia” (West Virginia), McBride was utilized sparingly to pressure the ball and get defensive stops throughout his first two seasons.
His poor jump shot and lack of on-ball creativity kept him glued to head coach Tom Thibodeau’s bench, but in 2023-24, he became a dead-eye shooter from deep and flashed some ball-handling upside.
Miles McBride Career Transformation | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Season | PPG | APG | 3P% | TS% |
2021-22 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 25.0 | 39.3 |
2022-23 | 3.5 | 1.1 | 29.9 | 47.5 |
2023-24 | 8.3 | 1.7 | 41.0 | 59.0 |
2024 Playoffs | 11.0 | 1.9 | 36.8 | 55.3 |
Because of how well he fits their culture, New York desperately wants to hold onto their homegrown talent, but simple roster realities could force him out.
As mentioned previously, the Knicks have incredible guard depth with Brunson, DiVincenzo, Kolek and Payne, meaning McBride could be forced back into his former role as a 10-minute-per-game player utilized primarily for defense.
Although he would excel in that role, McBride is capable of so much more in his career, and it would do a disservice to him to keep him in the shadows after what he showed last year.
Furthermore, New York badly needs a backup center behind the injury-prone Mitchell Robinson , and McBride could be the most movable asset because of his position and his valuable contract.
Ian Begley of SNY reported that the Knicks still want to keep McBride, but a center trade is the “next domino” to fall this offseason for New York, which could signal the end of Deuce’s tenure.
Jericho Sims
New York’s current backup center could be moved for an upgrade
Keeping consistent with the theme of the Knicks’ summer, Jericho Sims could be moved in pursuit of a backup center.
Sims is currently New York’s best option to fill in behind Robinson, but Knicks’ president Leon Rose and the front office will surely try their best to upgrade.
Drafted with the 58th pick in 2021 because of his tremendous athletic tools, Sims hasn’t panned out quite the way New York hoped over his first three seasons.
He has been an excellent defensive player and can switch onto guards on the perimeter, but he has also been pushed around by the biggest guys in the league—not a trait that Thibodeau is looking for in his culture of toughness.
His lack of offensive growth has been even more damaging, as Sims has remained a lob threat who cannot do much else.
He has shown no abilities as a roller, struggles to finish around the rim and isn’t comfortable with the ball in his hands as a playmaker. Especially with those areas also being weaknesses for Robinson, New York needs to improve its backup option if it truly wants to contend.
New York Knicks – Utah Jazz Trade | ||
---|---|---|
Team | Player | Salary |
New York Knicks | Jericho Sims | $2.1M |
Miles McBride | $4.7M | |
2025 First-Round Pick | ||
Utah Jazz | Walker Kessler | $3.0M |
Isaiah Collier | $2.5M |
Sims’ short playoff minutes have not been productive, and New York doesn’t have time to waste. A possible trade could be a swap of McBride, Sims and a draft pick for a good backup center like Walker Kessler of the Uttah Jazz.