New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Julius Randle to The Clippers to Pair With Kawhi and Harden

Will the Clippers be a potential trade partner for Julius Randle?

Dec 16, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The NBA offseason is at a standstill and teams are getting ready to report to training camp. The rosters that teams have are the ones that they are likely going to take into the season and any big moves that could happen will likely have to wait until the trade deadline. While guys like Lauri Markkanen (who can't be traded now) and Brandon Ingram have dominated the trade rumors for the better part of the last month, Knicks forward Julius Randle is now the hot name on the trade market due to his not having signed an extension since he became extension eligible on August 3rd. The Knicks could trade Randle to add more pieces around the core of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. Because Brunson took a team-friendly deal, the Knicks still have a large salary slot that they could fill by trading away Randle for more immediate help. The Knicks could use a center and more depth, but is there a trade out there?

It is quite difficult to put a Randle trade together due to the new CBA restrictions, but you could bring in a third team to try and help facilitate things.

Two teams that could look to shake things up are the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hawks made one big move by sending Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for a trade package centered around Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, and two first-round picks. Even after that, there are still rumors out there wondering if the Hawks would trade Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, or Nance to continue reconfiguring their team around Trae Young.

The Clippers feel like they are a team lost at sea right now. They lost Paul George in free agency and they can never seem to stay healthy. They also don't have control of their own draft picks for the foreseeable future, making it impossible to do a complete rebuild. They have a rapidly shrinking window with Kawhi Leonard and James Harden and might have to jump at the chance to add a star player to the team. Could they make a move for Randle?

Let's look at a hypothetical trade that could make sense for all three teams.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Norm Powell, P.J. Tucker, Amir Coffey, Mitchell Robinson, and Keita Bates-Diop

New York Receives: Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, and 2031 1st round pick via LAC (Top-Ten protected)

LA Receives: Julius Randle, Larry Nance

Why the Hawks do this deal: This would be about clearing the books for the future. Capela and Nance are already on expiring deals and the Hawks have a logjam at center. They need to figure out if Onyeka Okongwu is the center of the future and would be better off if they saw what they could get for either Nance or Capela. Norm Powell would give them viable depth for now and he is an excellent shooter and scorer off the bench. Robinson could be a good backup for Okongwu and both Coffey and Bates-Diop are interesting players on expiring deals who could provide depth. This would be more for the future and getting off Hunter's deal as well. Atlanta would move forward with a lot of space to make moves if need be and for Jalen Johnson's extension. They stay under the tax after these moves as well.

Why the Hawks don't do this deal: Are the Hawks really better off after this deal? Capela and Nance are already expiring and they are better than anyone (maybe other than Powell) they get back. They already have Bogdan Bogdanovic to come off the bench and be a scorer. This does not fix any major issues for the Hawks and costs them a first round pick in the process. Coffey and Bates-Diop are mildly intriguing as depth players but nothing more.

Why the Knicks do this deal: The Knicks need a dependable center and there have been rumors connecting them to Capela. Hunter provides bench depth and they gain a future first-round pick.

Why the Knicks don't do this deal: Randle has his flaws, but are they better off without him and with Capela and Hunter? Caplea is on an expiring deal and Hunter has struggled with injuries. After the season, the Knicks would either have to re-sign Capela or go get another center.

Why the Clippers do this deal: They don't have many options to get better. Any potential deal for a good player they should be intrigued by because their options are so limited. It might not be a clean fit, but Randle is a talent upgrade. This team as it is is barely a playoff team in the Western Conference

Why the Clippers don't do this deal: The only reason I think the Clippers say no is that they don't want to move any picks. They should be checking in on every player that becomes available though.

Again, this deal is very unlikely and I don't think it makes a lot of sense for the Hawks or the Knicks. That said, trade season can be surprising and I would not be surprised if these three teams were connected in some way.