As the New York Knicks are seemingly not able to replicate their success from last season, the rumors around the storied franchise are starting to heat up. The offseason signings of Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker did not exactly do the trick. Walker is in-and-out of the rotation and while he had some great moments, the overall picture is not looking too well. The case of Fournier is very similar, as he has also had great moments but did not do well overall. When the dip in the play of Julius Randle is added to the mix, rumors about possible trades are going to be a guarantee. The latest one concerns directly Randle, who might be on his way out. Thus, let’s look at two teams that should take a chance on a Julius Randle trade.

Julius Randle Trade Suitors

Portland Trailblazers

One of the teams that disappointed their fans the most is definitely Portland. The Blazers have been a playoff regular the last couple of seasons, but this one will be tough. They are sitting at 21-28, good enough for 10th in the Western Conference. While they are still in the play-in tournament, they are far away from securing that spot, with the Spurs, Pelicans, and even the Kings possibly taking a run at their place. With Julius Randle in their squad, however, the Blazers might have a shot.

The general understanding is that the Knicks will only trade Randle for the right package. With that in mind, the Blazers would need to give up at least one first-round pick for the All-Star forward. However, that would also provide them with a chance to trade away Jusuf Nurkic in a good deal, since he is on an expiring contract and they need to get some value. Nurkic was playing well in the last couple of weeks, so his value is probably up there with Randle, who is having a down season. With the Blazers in dire need of a shake-up, Randle might be what they need.

With Randle, the Blazers have a great offensive inside presence. With Nurkic, they had that as well, but Nurk is not the offensive weapon Randle is. They would be losing some defensive stability, but with teams like the Blazers, that are sliding hard in the standings, the shake-up that was mentioned above is worth it. It is completely correct that Randle is nowhere close to his season last year. He is down in efficiency, scoring, rebounding, and other important parameters. However, with a change of scenery, Randle might be on his way to return to last season’s form.