Fans of the New York Knicks are doing a lot of soul-searching right now.
After a strong regular season and a great start to the playoffs, the Knicks are now down 3-1 to the Miami Heat in the second round.
This has many people thinking about possible changes the team might undergo to become stronger.
Stephen A. Smith has a fairly surprising idea: the team should trade Julius Randle.
“I think [the Knicks] should trade [Randle]. … I’d rather have Karl-Anthony Towns than Julius Randle,” Smith said on Tuesday’s First Take.
"I think [the Knicks] should trade [Julius Randle]. … I'd rather have Karl-Anthony Towns than Julius Randle."
😮 @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/ndKx9fabIE
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 9, 2023
There has been talk about Randle being traded multiple times during his tenure in New York.
When he first came to the team, he was seen as a future leader of the franchise.
And for a while, it seemed like he would be.
But he has suffered his fair share of rough patches while playing for the Knicks.
His inconsistency, including during this second round, has people talking about him being traded again.
Willingness from fans to let him go has only increased since the arrival of Jalen Brunson.
Brunson has become the new face of the team and nearly all fans see him as their future.
They are more open to the idea of getting rid of Randle now because they feel like the team is in Brunson’s hands.
If the Knicks are pushed out of the playoffs this week, there is a good chance that some changes will be made in the months ahead.
And a departure for Randle could be possible, especially since he still has a sizable trade value on the market.
That means that Smith might get his wish and Randle may be on the move in the near future.
NEXT: Stephen A. Smith Sounds Off On Knicks After Game 4 Loss
