The Pros and Cons of Keeping Julius Randle

Leon Rose and the Knicks front office have a bunch of pressing questions to answer this off-season. 

How much should they offer Josh Hart, who can become an unrestricted free agent? How much should they offer Immanuel Quickley, who is extension eligible? Should they consider trading RJ Barrett? Should they offer Obi Toppin a lucrative extension? Should they attach draft capital to dump the final year of Evan Fournier's contract and clear up cap space?  

We'll discuss each of these issues in the days/weeks ahead. However, the most hotly-debated topic in Knicksland right now is the future of Julius Randle. So let's tackle that today. 

Less than 24 hours after the final buzzer in New York's Game 6 loss to Miami, the internet was flooded with prospective trades involving Randle. 

Before we get into hypothetical blockbuster deals and what New York might seek in exchange for their starting power forward, let's discuss whether it's wise to move on from Mr. Randle. 

CONS - The Argument Against Bringing Him Back:

Julius Randle was awful during the playoffs. 

It's essential to start there. And there is no way to sugarcoat it. After an incredibly impressive regular season (which we'll detail below), Randle once again shrunk when the pressure was ratcheted up. He became the first player in NBA history to average more than 25 points per game in the regular season and less than 17 PPG in the playoffs.

And it wasn't just these past few weeks. Randle also struggled mightily in his first postseason appearance in 2021. For his career, Randle has now appeared in 15 postseason contests. In those games, he has averaged 17.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 0.5 steals and 0.2 blocks, while shooting a putrid 34.4% from the field and 28.3% from downtown. He also has more turnovers (58) than assists (56).

Those numbers aren't just bad; they are historically bad. 

Over the past 40 years (as far as Basketball Reference data dates back to), 499 players have started at least 15+ playoff games and attempted more than 200 FGs in their postseason careers. Of those 499, Julius Randle is the ONLY player to shoot below 35% from the floor and below 30% from three-point territory.