Julius Randle trade rumors: Rival exec says Knicks star’s value is ‘neutral at best’ | News, scores, highlights, stats & rumors

Despite being selected to the All-Star team in three of the last four seasons, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle’s trade value isn’t that high.

An anonymous member of a rival club’s board told Fred Katz of The Athletic that Randle’s value to the rival teams is “neutral at best.”

The 29-year-old has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $117 million contract he signed with New York in 2021. However, he has a $30.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season and could choose to decline it if he continues to perform at an All-Star level.

The “fear” of giving Randle a long-term deal after his current contract expires makes it “difficult” for the Knicks to find interested parties willing to give up significant assets to make a deal profitable, Katz said.

Randle could receive another contract from New York, though SNY’s Ian Begley reported on July 17 that extension talks are not “on the forefront” for either side. The former first-round pick is eligible for a four-year deal worth up to $181.5 million.

That doesn’t mean a trade is imminent, as Katz noted Thursday that there’s “no indication” the Knicks are actively trying to move Randle.

New York is looking to compete with the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference after acquiring Mikal Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby during the offseason.

Randle has averaged 23.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game over the past four seasons, which would allow him to ink a new long-term contract extension and increase his trade value by continuing his strong regular-season play into the playoffs during the 2024-25 campaign.