Julius Randle was the first All-NBA player on the Knicks since Carmelo Anthony and made them a Playoff team before Jalen Brunson joined the franchise in 2022. However, Brunson's emergence as the No. 1 star on the team along with expensive role-players like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges around him means the extension-eligible Randle's future is unclear at the moment, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.
"This is kind of one of the big looming questions in the league right now. Julius Randle is extension-eligible. There has not been an extension. I don't expect there to be an extension, just because the Knicks have to be very careful with their finances and they need to figure out the right way to use the salary slot that Brunson has gifted them."
ESPN's front office insider Bobby Marks chimed in with his thoughts as well, agreeing with Lowe that a Randle extension seems unlikely.
"He's been eligible since August for a 4-181. He would top the $40 million mark, which is a rarity in New York... The market plays a huge role in terms of what determines a player's salary. He's a player that's had surgery the last two years, with the most recent one being a serious shoulder injury that cost him the year since January."
"Who is New York competing against out there next offseason? Is Brooklyn willing to spend $40 million on Julius Randle? Are the Wizards and other teams? It's just not there. It's either going to be in New York on an extension, a new contract or maybe it's what Josh Hart did where you go into the deal before October 31st and extend off that."
Randle averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists last season for the Knicks, missing most of the second half of the season due to a shoulder injury.
Even without Randle's presence, the Knicks managed to secure the No. 2 seed in the East as the only team outside the Celtics to crack 50 wins. They did that despite severe injury issues but were boosted by the midseason acquisition of OG Anunoby, who went 20-3 with the team.
There's Randle redundancy in New York, as the ball-dominant power forward might not have a prominent role on the squad with how Brunson broke out in his absence and the team's addition of both Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
Should The Knicks Trade Julius Randle?
The circumstances around Randle make it clear that he will be an unwitting candidate for trade talks this season. Unless he figures out a long-term extension to stay with the winning Knicks project, the franchise will invariably have to test his market value.
He would be an interesting trade candidate, but one that teams might be more amenable to closer to the deadline than right now. Even the Knicks would like to see if a healthy Randle can supercharge the Knicks even further and make them genuine contenders for the Celtics. Given the strength in numbers that the Celtics have, it might be in New York's best interests to keep a two-time All-NBA player like Randle on the squad.
Mitchell Robinson is another question mark on the Knicks roster, so if Randle has to be traded, it would likely be for an upgrade at center. Randle could also be a small-ball center option, and if he can thrive in that role, the Knicks might have no choice but to extend him to keep their core together.
