Julius Randle's career in the NBA has been a bit of a roller coaster. It's like he hasn't been able to have two good seasons in a row, and it looks like he has worn out his stay with the New York Knicks already.
Fresh off winning Most Improved Player last season, Randle vastly regressed this year. He couldn't shake double-teams, struggled to put the ball on the floor and got cooked on defense more often than not.
But more than that, it's been his attitude that's concerned the Knicks and their fanbase the most, as he's been off, angry, and erratic for most of the season. Now, a potential divorce seems more likely by the day.
NBA Rumors: Julius Randle Wants Out Of The Knicks
“I don’t think either party wants to be back next season. I will be honest. There has been a number of odd behaviors," Marc Berman of The New York Post said. "Odds are, at this point, I don’t see Randle coming back next season. He’s acting like he wants out.”
"Some people around the league feel he’s acting in a 'James Harden type of way' that suggests he wants a new place of work next season," Berman wrote in another report. "Randle has lost his strongest ally in assistant coach Kenny Payne, his former mentor at Kentucky who left this month to be the head coach at Louisville. Some NBA sources believe the Knicks will shop Randle for a package revolving around a center if they lose Mitchell Robinson."
The Knicks Are Worried About Randle's Psyche
"Randle’s overall psyche is of concern inside the Knicks organization, according to an NBA source," Berman reported.
"The source said Randle didn’t come into training camp in the same type of sensational shape as he did last season, before Thibodeau’s first year guiding the Knicks. Perhaps that prevented him from being the type of two-way player — giving energy on both sides of the ball — that he was during his second team All-NBA season," he added.
"Randle has seemed angry all year, battling with fans through his 'thumbs-down’' gesture, battling with referees, battling with assistant coaches, battling with Johnson when the Knicks had all the momentum and were on the verge of snapping their six-game slide," Berman concluded.
Julius Randle has failed to prove that he can be a marquee player, yet he could still be a major contributor on a contending team. His trade value may be at an all-time low right now but the Knicks could get a decent return for his services in the offseason.