In the immediate aftermath of forward being of the 2023-24 season, the initial focus was on how it affected the team’s contender status. The Knicks are just 16-15 without Randle, a record that extrapolates to 44-38 over a full season. As it stands today, that win percentage (.537) would rank ninth in the standings. To that point, the Knicks have shown they can win games without the three-time All-Star. However, they aren’t dominant without him. As they approach the doorstep of the , there’s a legitimate concern about how far they’ll go. Nonetheless, Randle’s absence leads to a particularly interesting possibility. Julius Randle Heads to Brooklyn At 29, Randle is one of the best players in the league, regardless of position. Over the past six seasons, he’s averaged 22.4 points, 9.6 assists, and 4.4 steals per game while
shooting 46.2 percent from the field. A versatile, physical player at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Randle would fit on most rosters. There’s one place where he’s needed more than any though. Ironically, it’s a franchise with a player the Knicks should be interested in acquiring: the . The Nets have several forwards in their rotation. However, only Mikal Bridges has shown the ability to be a go-to scorer, and he’s had well-documented struggles with manning that role this season. Cameron Johnson averages double-figures (13.4), but his scoring volume isn’t as impressive as it would seem because he is essentially a 3-point specialist. 57.1 percent of Johnson’s field goal attempts are 3-pointers, which is only behind Dorian Finney-Smith (65.8) in the rotation. Meanwhile, Randle is a proven volume scorer, capable of scoring from all three levels. Furthermore, Randle is far from a 3-point specialist. Over the past six seasons, he’s made 33.8 percent of his threes, taking 5.2 per game; this constitutes just 30.1 percent of his total field goal attempts. Yet, because the Nets employ multiple 3-and-D forwards, he has a few players that can complement him. Offensively, his on-ball prowess and their off-ball skills are a clean fit. At the other end, their defensive mastery allows them to take on the tougher assignments. Mikal Bridges Lands in the Big
Apple As for the Knicks, their sights should be set on Bridges, of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Indeed, Bridges, Brunson, Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo were teammates at Villanova, winning a national championship together in 2016. Bridges, Brunson, and DiVincenzo won a second national title in 2018. Openly recruited by his former teammates, there’s little argument against his fit. Indeed, the only question in regard to that is whether there’s too much overlap between him and OG Anunoby. Yet, this is a great problem for
New York to have. For one, a team can never have too many quality defenders or three-point threats. Secondly, Anunoby is expected to become a free agent this offseason. Injured in more games than he’s played with the Knicks but , his free market value is difficult to determine. New York would obviously prefer to hold onto him given their 15-3 record when he’s played. However, they could still balk at his salary demands. As a result, the Knicks may have to find his replacement sooner or later. Comparing the two players stylistically and statistically, Bridges is ideally suited for this task. OG Anunoby vs. Mikal Bridges (2020-21 to 2023-24) OG Anunoby 16.2 1.6 47.2 38.0 Mikal Bridges 17.1 1.1 48.5 38.4 Nonetheless, as previously mentioned, having more defenders and three-point threats doesn’t hurt. This is especially true with like Brunson at point guard. This season, 262 of Brunson’s possessions have been isolations, the eighth-highest in the . He’s made 4,145 passes, the seventh-highest in the NBA. Yet, with limited off-ball options and a scoring mindset, he has an assist-to-pass percentage of 11.6, a figure tied with forward . Having another off-ball threat could boost that number and even enhance the flow of the offense given Brunson’s play style. Brunson Ball Handling Isolation Attempts Passes Made Assist-to-Pass% 262 4,145 11.6 In replacing Randle with Bridges, the Knicks will have more than a traditional 3-and-D threat though. He hasn’t emerged as an All-Star-level scorer in Brooklyn. However, he’s a three-level scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting with the Nets. Bridges will likely be even more efficient than that with the Knicks. To start, he already has chemistry he has with his former Villanova teammates. Secondly, the experience and success of two-time Coach of the Year outweighs that of Jacque Vaughn and Kevin Ollie combined. Lastly, with Brunson at the top of the scouting report, he’ll face more favorable defensive coverages. Knicks-Nets Trade Parameters Bridges for Randle, straight-up, might be the best deal the Knicks and Nets could make. While Randle is the more proven player, Bridges is a bit younger and offers a lot at both ends. The Nets adding a young player like 2023 No. 21 pick Noah Clowney or a first-round pick in an upcoming draft would sweeten the deal though. To that end, the Nets have three first-round picks in the 2027 and three more in the 2029 NBA Draft.