Do the Knicks need to make a move with Julius Randle sidelined?

Over the last month, there’s been no hotter team in the NBA than the New York Knicks. On Dec. 30, after dropping their third straight game, the team sat at a middling 17-15. Since then, however, they’ve won 13 of 15 and are a mere two games out of second place in the Eastern Conference.

While the drastic change to the Knicks’ season has been attributed to the trade for OG Anunoby — along with the continuing excellent play of Jalen Brunson — it’s impossible to overlook the role of their mainstay power forward, Julius Randle.

Randle’s having another great season, and he’s been the epitome of consistency. He’s also been an ironman, playing in every game. That streak ended, however, after he dislocated his shoulder against the Miami Heat. Though there’s no timetable yet, it appears that Randle will miss several weeks, which could put the Knicks’ playoff positioning in question.

There’s been speculation for a while now that even after the Anunoby acquisition, the Knicks weren’t done upgrading their roster. Most of the players mentioned in trade rumors, however, are guards, including Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan. With Randle out indefinitely, it may make a lot more sense for the team to target a forward.

One name that has come up lately is Mikal Bridges, who’s having a stellar year for the Brooklyn Nets. Bridges already has a strong connection to several players on the Knicks, having played at Villanova with Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono. 

A trade is unlikely though, as the Nets see Bridges as a long-term building block. Plus, any sort of transaction between these cross-city rivals is extremely rare.

Bojan Bogdanović of the Detroit Pistons is another player who has been linked to the Knicks. While he’s having a good season, Detroit certainly isn’t, so it might not take a lot to pry him out of Motown. Utah Jazz forward John Collins is someone else who could potentially be had for some bench players and a draft pick or two.

Another option is for the Knicks to do nothing. Randle’s absence will coincide with the All-Star break, which will give him extra time to recover. 

If he’s back relatively soon, it may not be worth giving up valuable trade capital and risking chemistry issues with an extremely cohesive unit. Plus, his time away could allow players like Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa to step up with increased minutes.

Whatever the Knicks decide to do — or not do — the next month could have a huge impact on how successful the team is for the rest of the regular season and beyond.