Second Month of the Year The New York Knicks' 10th birthday is likely to be a huge day. That's because Julius Randall could be on his way to becoming a Big Apple relic in the near future.
Randall's third season in New York was a huge flop. Instead of building on his All-Star season last year, the 27-year-old has sunk into nearly every statistical category. The Knicks are in the same boat, sitting in a disappointing 24-28 over the weekend.
It's hard to imagine Randall and Nicks getting worse. But that was until the big man committed one of today's great social media crimes, signaling to the world that he is as tired of the franchise as he is.
Julius Randall is back in more ways than one
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Randall was a topic of conversation a year ago. In 2014 the fourth-round pick became the focal point of a Knicks team that finished fourth in a tough Eastern Conference. New York rewarded their star after the season with a lucrative four-year contract worth $117 million.
If only the Knicks knew what was to come.
Randall is deeply disappointed after his decisive campaign. The eight-year veteran has an average of 18.5 points on 41.4% shooting through 50 games. He hasn't had a low score aggregate or field-goal percentage since 2017-18. He is hitting only 30.3% of his three-point attempts, a significant drop from his 41.1 per cent in 2020-21.
Randall has struggled to maintain his composure as his aggressive arbitration progresses. After doing a lay-up at Madison Square Garden in January, the star gave fans a thumbs-down gesture. a) "Shut the f*** up," said the forward bluntly when asked what the gesture meant after the game.
Julius Randall last 2 years
Previous Season:- 24/10/6- 46 FG%- 41 3P%- All-NBA
— 18/12/4 — 30 fg% — 33 3p% — Exit from the first round
This season:— 19/10/5— 41 fg%— 30 3p%
Tonight on Instagram, I unfollowed Knicks pic.twitter.com/GSElSte2fH
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 4, 2022
It is important to note right away that any player's social media activity should be treated with caution. The internet couldn't help but notice Randall's displeasure with the franchise by pressing a single button - "Unfollow".
On Wednesday, the disgruntled forward unfollowed the official Instagram account of the New York Knicks. He also removed all references to the Knicks from the bio of his official Twitter account.
The fact that Randall is engaging in social media treason adds to the intrigue. The official trade ban against the 27-year-old was lifted in February. 3, only a few months after signing a long-term contract with New York allowed him to relocate.
Is this just a sham? Yes, it is understandable. Despite Randall's previous statements that he wants to be with the Knicks, his online behavior suggests something else.
Randall has found a new home in Sacramento with the Kings.
Two days after unfollowing the Knicks, Randall may have a new team to follow. According to Brian Windhorst of The Hoop Collective podcast, The Knicks have expressed interest in Sacramento Kings guard D'Aaron Fox.
"I've heard that Knicks d'Aarron is interested in Fox, which has been reported elsewhere," Windhorst said. "In that swap, Julius Randall is the player that makes the most sense."
A Randall-for-Fox trade would give both players a much-needed change of scenery. Fox doesn't follow Kings on Instagram, for what it's worth.
While there's enough smoke to believe that the Knicks are seriously considering a Randall trade, the former All-Star isn't baffled about the rumors.
Randall asked a bunch of reporters on Friday, "Who reported it?" "To me, it sounds like a rumour."
Randall's fall from grace has been dramatic. Over the next few crucial days, his status as Naik will be closely monitored.