Houston Rockets Could Target New York Knicks Star Forward In Trade Market

Could the Knicks' forward now be more obtainable?

Mar 27, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets' roster might not be quite set for the 2024-25 NBA season. Sure, the majority of the offseason has blown by and the next step in the league's calendar is training camp. But a trade to land a star forward might be too much for Houston to resist.

It's been reported that the team is targeting a star forward to complement their current roster in hopes of building a playoff team. They're close, too, as they're building off a 41-41 record with a developing young core.

However, Houston wants to expedite the process to get into the postseason -- which will more than likely see them split up some of their young core to bring in more win-now talents. One player the club can target is New York Knicks star forward Julius Randle.

A trade package for Randle might be something along the lines of Jabari Smith Jr. -- a young player as a trade chip -- Jeff Green and Jock Landale. The salary filler would be off their books after one year, helping the team navigate the salary cap moving forward.

The Knicks added OG Anunoby during the regular season a year ago, and acquired Mikal Bridges this offseason. Add in Jalen Brunson and Dante DiVincenzo and the team doesn't necessarily need Randle's services if they want to try and maintain flexibility.

For the Rockets, they'd be adding a player who averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game en route to a third All-Star selection.

With a starting lineup of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Randle and Alperen Sengun -- it's hard to ignore the Rockets as a playoff team. Does it make them a contender, though? Not necessarily. Of course, they'd maintain most of their young core, even with a good portion of it coming off the bench. But a playoff leap would come and the team continue to build their roster with one move after another.

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