Julius Randle has become a fascinating fit on a re-tooled New York Knicks team.

Randle could be entering the final year of his contract (he has a player option for 2025-26). On a Knicks team now loaded with 3-and-D wings and guards, Randle is something of an awkward fit: a traditional power forward who thrives with the ball in his hands, doesn’t offer much spacing without the ball, and isn’t a great defender.

Randle, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection, dislocated his shoulder on January 27 and missed the final three-plus months of the season, including the Knicks’ playoff run. In his absence, the Knicks leaned into Jalen Brunson as the engine of their offense, with more shooting and passing around him — a look that some fans and analysts think suited them better.

This imperfect fit has made Randle a popular theoretical trade candidate in the NBA world. There is some thought that the Knicks could potentially find a more malleable, two-way forward who might better fit the current structure of the team.

On Zach Lowe’s podcast, “The Lowe Post,” Fred Katz of The Athletic made it clear that he hasn’t heard anything to suggest the Knicks are shopping Randle (Lowe said he also has not heard Randle trade rumors). However, if they do, it would only be for a considerable upgrade.

“I’ll tell you this much: there is no chance the Knicks are trading Julius Randle in a deal that makes them an ounce worse this season,” Katz said. “There is no way. They will only trade Julius Randle if they believe it makes them better this year. And I think it’s hard to prove that.”

It may seem like an obvious point, but it speaks to the Knicks’ mindset. They are close to being all-in this season. Randle, for all of his flaws, is the Knicks’ second-best scorer, second-best creator, and a burly forward who gives them some necessary size. His ability to post up and bully his way to the basket gives the Knicks another dimension on offense and takes some pressure off of Brunson.

Katz’s comments suggest that the Knicks value Randle’s skills over a role-playing forward who may be able to play off Brunson more naturally.

It’s also part of what makes finding a Randle trade so difficult. The Knicks have few draft assets remaining after the Mikal Bridges trade. It’s hard to imagine that trading Randle, plus a protected pick, would net the Knicks a considerable upgrade — especially when the Bridges trade seems to have reset the trade market.

As Katz noted, there is also some proof that Randle can fit with this Knicks team. The Knicks went 12-2 after the OG Anunoby trade, before Randle got hurt. During that stretch, they were dominant on both ends of the court, and Randle leaned into a more efficient game: quicker decisions, better shots, more off-ball movement.

The onus will be on Randle to return to the floor this season with that same mindset. If he does, there really might not be a better player for the Knicks to target over Randle.