3 Possible Trade Destinations for Julius Randle After James Dolan Breaks the Bank for OG Anunoby & Mikal Bridges

New York Knicks star OG Anunoby is here to stay! According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the small forward is set to sign a five-year, $212.5 million extension with the franchise. This update comes after the Knicks made another long-term decision by acquiring the Nets’ shooting guard/small forward Mikail Bridges, even though he was not amongst the individuals to have made a trade request. By taking up Bridges remaining $48.2 million to be paid over two years, the franchise has exhausted a major part of its financial resources, leaving little to no space for Julius Randle.

Bridges reunited with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. These are the same players who, at one point in time, represented Villanova Wildcats Men’s Basketball team together, and won the college championship in 2016 as well as 2018. Because of this association, Julius Randle now becomes the odd one out. The combined pay of OG, Bridges, Brunson, Randle, Robinson, DiVincenzo, and Deuce McBride will cost them a whopping $124 million this year itself.

According to CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, while there is nothing yet to indicate that the NY side would trade the player, they may be enticed to get rid of his $28.9 million salary to free up the cap space and receive a lower usage and cheaper athlete in exchange. Furthermore, Randle’s performances also make him a target for a possible trade.

“Randle’s value is tied closely to his usage,” reported Quinn. “He needs the ball. Are there going to be enough shots for him on a team with Brunson, Bridges, DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Hart, and McBride? That’s debatable.” Fortunately, if the player’s future remains uncertain, there are other places where he can take his talents.

Where can Julius Randle head next?

Amongst the major franchises that Julius Randle can take his talents to next season are the 76ers, the Clippers, and OKC Thunder.

Los Angeles Clippers

A possible Paul George exit can open the way for the 3x NBA All-Star to take his talents to another East franchise. The possibility for George’s exit seems imminent since Brian Windhorst reportedly revealed that PG-13’s franchise is not willing to offer him a max contract, instead “three years at a little bit less than the max”.

Randle would be an appropriate replacement, given that not only he is a younger player but is someone more efficient. While George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists during the 2023-24 regular season, Randle topped the same with his average of 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. It is no secret that Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook are not youngsters anymore. Therefore, Randle can be the player who could very well become the next, longish-term, face of the franchise.

Philadelphia 76ers

While the Clippers have been attempting to trade off Paul George, the Sixers seem to be in contention to acquire him. Unfortunately for them, Brian Windhorst believes that he may be inclined to remain in the West. This makes it possible for a Randle acquisition.

The Knicks could get Kawhi Leonard in exchange for Julius Randle. However, given their focus on leaving cap space, acquiring a more expensive player would not help their situation. As reported by James Piercey back in 2023, “This won’t be an easy deal for the Clippers to make” since “they were supposed to be embarking on an era of title contention”. This situation may remain like this going forward as well. Therefore, while a Randle-76ers partnership may be possible, the hopes for the same are not that high.

Oklahoma City Thunder

This partnership between Julius Randle and the Thunder was recently suggested by The Athletic reporter Sam Vecenie. He thinks that the power forward “checks a lot of boxes”, given that teaming him up with the likes of Chet Holmgren will allow him to be flexible enough to go “big and small” with his scoring.

“You could play him at the five (center) if Chet has foul trouble,” said Vecenie. “You can play Chet with Jalen Williams at the four (power forward) lineups if necessary.” Randle has only 1 year remaining in his contract and OKC would have no trouble welcoming him into their fold. After that, a possible extension can be decided depending on the situation of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.

Where do you think Julius Randle can head next? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.