Knicks Rumored to Be Interested in All-Star Big Man to Replace Julius Randle

The NBA free agency window, or at least the bulk of it, has come and gone and the New York Knicks made some thrilling moves to strengthen and retain talent on their roster as they look to contend for a title in the near future. 

In the aftermath of falling out of the second round of the postseason for the second straight year, the Knicks kicked off their summer of retooling by acquiring small forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in a big trade of draft picks and low-value players. The deal was a rare one for the crosstown rivals that set Bridges up with his former teammates at Villanova and gave the Knicks a wing boost on the offensive end of the floor. 

Then, the franchise quickly followed that up by re-signing forward and defensive stalwart OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million contract extension after he declined to opt into a $19 million player option for the 2024-25 season. Anunoby’s presence when healthy lifted the Knicks to a 14-2 stretch in January and boosted the impress defense that was already limiting the league’s best offenses at a premier rate. 

Along with their slew of draft selections, the Knicks seemed to check off a lot of the boxes in their offseason plans. While there is a gaping hole at the backup center spot after Isaiah Hartenstein chose to move to Oklahoma City, it’s highly likely that the Knicks have run out of options to replace him and will need to rely on what they still have in-house to support Mitchell Robinson. 

This current rendition of the Knicks could very well be the one we see on the Garden parquet next October. However, one notable voice out there thinks the silent moves by Leon Rose aren’t over and a big grab for an NBA superstar could be on the horizon. 

Knicks “Interested” in Trade for Karl-Anthony Towns

On his latest episode of the “Knicks Fan TV” talk show on Tuesday, host CP “The Fanchise” got into it with guest Ariel Helwani about the Knicks offseason and what moves were missed or could be brewing at the right time. Of notable mention, the pair got into the lack of an extension for Julius Randle, who is entering the third year of his $117 million contract next season, for which CP put out a bold statement regarding the logic behind the situation. 

According to the host and his sources, Randle’s future in New York remains up in the air for one reason only, and that is to possibly make what he coined a “big swing” that would put the starting forward on the trade block in exchange for a bigger name in his place. That player is believed to be Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns. 

"“ don’t think they’re done yet. I think there is one more big swing that they want to make, because they didn’t sign Julius Randle to an extension….I'll tell you this, they are even bigger fans of Karl-Anthony Towns."

- CP "The Fanchise", Knicks Fan TV

Short of a desire to make him a trade piece, the Knicks' lack of progress for a Randle extension does look befuddling. The 29-year-old had his shortest season since 2019-20 due to a dislocated shoulder injury that limited him to 46 games but has been a consistent 25-point scoring threat and dominant rebounder as the team’s starting power forward.

Even with his absence, the Knicks discovered new options from role players who stepped up to propel the organization into the second round of the playoffs.

If Randle returns in the long term, it would set up a nice starting five of Brunson and Bridges for the backcourt and give the Knicks three hustlers in Anunoby, Randle, and Robinson to fill the frontcourt. As CP pointed out, New York and Leon Rose could have bigger aspirations with a player like Towns on their radar— a scheme fit that mirrors the likes of the Boston Celtics with Kristaps Porzingis and challenge it next season. 

“They want to catch Boston,” CP said later in the clip. “ They see what Boston can do with a true 5-out system and they want to open up that floor completely for Jalen [Brunson] to do his thing and cook.”

"You’re able to put Towns out there, and I’m just looking at offensive skillset, as a true shooting big, that’s how they want to beat Boston, they want Towns…[the Timberwolves] are in some financial challenges and a little bit of a tricky spot where they could use some savings, and I could tell you that’s where the Knicks want Towns."

As tricky as things could be for Minnesota, it can be equally as dangerous for the Knicks if they wait too long to play this potential scenario out. Per Spotrac, Randle has one more season on his deal before he arrives at his player option in 2025-26 which is worth around $31 million. Should he accept it, the Knicks would have the then 31-year-old on an expiring contract to send to Minnesota in a package that summer. 

On the other hand, if the Knicks don’t have a new agreement or exchange with the Timberwolves done before the end of the upcoming 2024-25 season, they risk Randle opting out of his option and testing the free-agent market. In that case, the team would have zero control over Randle and whether he agrees to a sign-and-trade deal to oblige the trade. 

Whether Towns would fit into head coach Tom Thibodeau’s system—there is a connection from his coaching days in Minnesota— and the New York market are additional concerns left to be answered with Towns. In addition, the team might have to include additional players like Miles McBride or Mitchell Robinson to make the contracts work and avoid any penalties that come from crossing into the second apron of the luxury tax. 

For now, it’s a wait-and-see prospect that CP thinks could play itself out before next summer arrives. 

"We have to monitor the Julius extension carefully. If he goes into the end of next season without a deal, and the Knicks risk losing him for nothing, that ain’t good either."

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