Report: Knicks open to parting ways with Julius Randle

The New York Knicks could be pulling the plug on the Julius Randle project after just a short period of time.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported on Saturday that new Knicks president Leon Rose is “certainly” open to either trading the 25-year-old or declining his 2021-22 team option. Berman adds that the Knicks were already willing to deal Randle before the trade deadline and had talks with Charlotte.

Randle, who signed a three-year, $62 million deal with the team this past summer, presents an interesting case. While his surface numbers look great (19.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season), he is shooting just 46.0 percent from the field and tends to commandeer the ball, slowing down the offense. Randle is also a poor three-point shooter and a negative on the defensive end, making him untenable as a small-ball 5.

The former Kentucky star has proven difficult to work with in the past too, and with the Knicks winning just 21 games this season with Randle in a featured role, it might be time to try something else.