The Strickland February Mailbag, Part 1: Trading Julius Randle, trading for Zach LaVine, and Knicks we have loved
Matthew Miranda tackles your mailbag questions, including what it would take to pry Julius Randle from the Knicks, where Immanuel Quickley ranks among some past Knicks guards, grading a trade package for Zach LaVine, and examining irrational Knicks loves of The Strickland’s staff.
We haven’t just sat and talked in a while, have we? Come, loves. Let’s mailbag.
1) [Which Knicks] should be considered untouchable right now?
— @ricepuritytest
No one. Absolutely no one. There’s no player on the Knicks who is such a sure thing moving forward that they shouldn’t listen to offers that might make them better.
The Knicks’ best player by far is still a long shot for his first All-Star game, putting up numbers that vastly exceed what he’s shown over the rest of his career — particularly on 3-pointers and assists, which may be his two most outstanding qualities this year. It’s certainly possible that Julius Randle having the benefit of a qualified NBA coach and some roster continuity, in addition to his own work ethic, means what we’ve seen this season is sustainable.
But two months ago, did you consider Randle remotely untradable? Would you have been cool swapping him for a first-round pick, even one outside the lottery, like the Knicks did last year with Marcus Morris? If, two seasons from now, Randle has a new contract and is putting up 19/9/4 while shooting 33% from deep instead of the 23/11/6/40% we’ve seen this year, would you be surprised? Someone who’s untradable is someone who you know is a lock for a certain level of elite performance. You know what LeBron James or Luka Dončić or Damian Lillard are going to put up, night after night, year after year. Randle could be at the start of a similar kismet. Or this could be his Brady Anderson year.
RJ Barrett is easy to root for, and has shown improvement, and if he was what it took for the Knicks to swing a deal for a suddenly available superstar who wasn’t at or nearing 30 I’d 100% consider it. Same with Mitchell Robinson. Same with Immanuel Quickley. Am I desperate to move any of them? Absolutely not. Am I certain there’s anyone on this roster destined for multiple All-Star teams or All-NBA honors? Absolutely not. So I’m open to discussion.
2) If you decided to trade Randle, what would you need back in a trade? What teams do you think would be interested?
— @CuseKnicksFan
If Knicks are in a similar spot [to where they] are now by [the] trade deadline (few games under .500, but close to making [the] play-in tournament) and you’re Leon Rose, do you trade Randle if good offers start coming in?
— @TheRealFern_FR3
Should the Knicks put Randle on the trading block? If so, what should they ask for?
— @KenTavarez
Sounds like as many Knicks fans are worrying about whether to trade Randle as they are enjoying his ascension.
There’s always the possibility someone makes you an offer you can’t refuse. That’s why you take calls. I’m not sure what would constitute a “good” offer for Randle, given he’s the Knicks’ best player and their least replaceable. Mitchell Robinson anchors the defense and does so wonderfully, yet Nerlens Noel, while not as impactful, does offer New York a no-frills version of Mitch. Randle’s size, strength, and skillfulness presents headaches for virtually every defense and defender he goes up against. Barrett would have to improve his 3P% from 30% to 40%, double his assist rate and up his rebounds by two-thirds to match Randle’s production; even then, Randle has 2-3 inches and 40 pounds on RJ. Size still matters, even in today’s NBA.
Maybe Boston would be interested in Randle, given that Jayson Tatum spends most of his minutes at the 3 and Jaylen Brown the 2, though it’s difficult to imagine the Celtics having enough to acquire him while retaining their two young stars. Chicago would certainly upgrade at the 4 with Randle over Thaddeus Young, but Patrick Williams, the Bulls’ promising rookie, has played nearly two-thirds of his minutes at the 4. Maybe they’d slide him down to the 3, given that no one on their roster has laid claim to that spot. If Cleveland can move Kevin Love somewhere, would they consider making Randle their offensive hub? Do they have enough to entice the Knicks into making such a deal?
Out west, the Jazz would have hella firepower with Randle or Bojan Bogdanović starting with the other leading the bench. But Utah doesn’t appear to have anything of value that’d appeal to New York, at least not without robbing Peter to pay Paul. Would Portland part with C.J. McCollum for Julius? Would the Knicks do that knowing it’d mean moving RJ off the position where he’s played 75% of his career minutes? Maybe San Antonio digs the idea of moving from LaMarcus Aldridge to Randle, but that’d mean either playing small with him at the 5 or moving DeMar DeRozan from the 4 spot, where he’s been a revelation this year.
The Knicks should listen to anyone who calls. That doesn’t mean there’s much out there worth hearing.
3) In a four-year span in the 1980s, the Knicks made two terrific picks in the latter part of the first round — Mark Jackson & Rod Strickland — and one superb pick in the latter part of the second round: Gerald Wilkins. How do you think Immanuel Quickley’s career will ultimately compare to these three?
— @FromMeadows
Mark Jackson retired with the second-most assists in NBA history, and over a 17-year career was the primary point guard on 10 playoff teams and played for 14 total. He’s become a bit of a caricature as a puritanical yet philandering ex-coach and TV analyst, deservedly. But don’t sleep on his career. Before WandaVision, there was ActionVision, the shimmy, the teardrop. Maybe 99% of NBA players wouldn’t kill for his resume, but 95% would.
Rod Strickland’s legacy is secure, as a player, a NYC icon and the spiritual inspiration behind this site. He was the greatest finisher of tough looks at the rim I’ve ever seen, at least until his godson Kyrie Irving came along. Rod could do it all. Need points? He averaged as many as 19 a game when 19 a game meant something. Need dimes? He led the league in assists in 1998 and averaged 8-plus eight different times. Need a couple steals? Rod’s got you.
Gerald Wilkins sometimes gets slept on, pro’ly ‘cuz he didn’t sustain the production of his early days and was replaced by John Starks, a New York sports legend. If Wilkins entered the league in this era, Knicks fans would be head over heels for him. He put up 19 points a game his second season, shooting 49% on two-pointers and 35% on threes. He was an athletic freak, he played defense, and he had this endearing manner sometimes of running with his thumbs sticking up. For the better part of his 14-year career, Wilkins was a starter. He wasn’t Jackson or Strickland, but his career by most measures was an unqualified success — especially for the 47th pick in the draft.
If Quickley has a Wilkins-level career, much less Strick or Action, that’s a major win. He seems intelligent and shrewd, can play on and off the ball, and can shoot. It’s a fool’s game to predict where a 21-year-old will end up in five, 10, or 15 years. Certainly Quickley has earned our hopes and dreams already. That in and of itself is plenty good.
4) Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Alec Burks, Dallas 2021 + 2023 1sts & our 2025 (lotto protected) for Zach LaVine?
— @NYCritix
Never. No matter the hype.
5) What Knicks have you irrationally loved over the years? What about other Strickland writers’ infatuations?
— Matthew Miranda
Great question! And such a sexy name, too. My big four would be Xavier McDaniel (only one year on Broadway, but what a year), Frank Williams (still convinced he would’ve been great if given the chance), Rasheed Wallace (a favorite going back to his UNC days; it was unimaginable joy to see him on the Knicks, even at the end of his career), and Emmanuel Mudiay (such a warm smile).
As for the others, Collin Loring also listed Mudiay, as well as Courtney Lee, making him the only Earthling besides Courtney Lee’s mother who’s ever listed him as their favorite. Stacy Patton went with Noah Vonleh and Mario Hezonja, praising Hez’s “audacity" in particular, which… hells yeah.
Shwinnypooh chose Henry “Billy” Walker. Tyrese London loves him some Chris Copeland. And Jonathan “Stingy” Schulman, never one to be bound by the conventions of man, listed four: Anthony Mason, Pablo Prigioni, Baron Davis, and Rasheed Wallace.
Which random Knicks have left their oversized footprints on your heart? Share in the comments below, and keep an eye out for part two of the mailbag coming soon.
