Knicks Star Named Top 10 Upcoming Free Agent

The New York Knicks will soon have a decision to make in regards to Julius Randle’s future with the franchise.

A trade could be made at any point during the year, but the latest decision would come at the start of free agency next summer where Randle could sign with any team in the NBA.

Bleacher Report ranked the top 30 free agents for next summer and Randle came in at No. 8 on the list.

“Though he makes for a tricky fit in many landing spots because he’s prone to bouts of tunnel vision, needs the ball to be most effective and has never rated as a high-end defender, Randle provides high-volume shot creation from the power forward spot. He’s averaged at least 20.0 points and 4.0 assists in each of the last four seasons,” Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes writes. “A rediscovery of the stroke that helped him drill a career-high 41.1 percent of his treys in 2020-21 (career 33.3 percent) could juice Randle’s market value to superstar levels.”

The only players higher on the list than Randle were Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, Evan Mobley, Jimmy Butler, Lauri Markkanen, Jalen Brunson and LeBron James.

Randle, 29, averaged 24 points per game in 46 appearances for the Knicks this past season, which was a slight dip compared to his previous season. He started off the season struggling and was able to figure things out as the year went on. However, it resulted in questions as to whether the Knicks would be better without him, especially considering how well New York performed in the playoffs when he was on the sidelines.

The Knicks would have been better off with Randle, especially considering that they ended up as second-round exits for the second consecutive year. However, they looked far more cohesive and if injuries didn’t litter across the rest of the roster, a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals wouldn’t have been out of the question.

New York’s time is ticking on Randle, and with the addition of Mikal Bridges via trade, signing him seems less likely in order to maintain flexibility in the upcoming years.

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