Randle is something of an out-of-vogue NBA player. Though he’s a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA member, he is a bruising power forward who likes the ball in his hands, is a so-so shooter, inconsistent defender, and can’t shift up to play center (or doesn’t, anyway).
That’s a harsh evaluation of Randle —who is also an excellent one-on-one scorer and great passer — but the Knicks are a team that is trending toward 3-and-D wings who defend, shoot threes, slash, and make quick decisions with the ball around Jalen Brunson. Randle doesn’t quite fit the vision.
However, former Knicks GM Scott Perry, who signed Randle to his first contract with the Knicks in 2019, said on the “Hoop Genius” podcast that it would be a mistake to trade the skilled forward
Perry brings up a point that became clear during the Knicks’ playoff run: without a second creator, there was far too much pressure on Brunson. Brunson still managed to deliver frequently, even while facing immense defensive pressure — and players like Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo stepped up their offensive output — but that weight eventually wore on Brunson.
Randle, for all of his imperfections, give the Knicks a different dynamic on offense, with his inside-outside game. The Knicks can throw him the ball in the mid-post where he can bully his way to the basket, hit tough one-on-one shots, or kick the ball out to shooters by drawing
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