2 Knicks Key Players Could Miss Start of Training Camp: Report

Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts.

New York Knicks key player Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson are in danger of missing the start of the training camp, according to SNY’s Ian Begley.

Randle is scheduled to be re-evaluated in September but, according to Begley, “based on other timelines for shoulder surgery, it would be surprising if Randle were ready for the start of training camp.”

The SNY’s Knicks insider noted, however, that “if everything progresses well,” Randle should be back when the team opens their season against the defending champion Boston Celtics on the road on October 22.

Randle dislocated his right shoulder on January 27 against the Miami Heat. The Knicks’ three-time All-Star forward delayed surgery with the hopes of returning at the end of the season with only rehab. But in April, Randle came to terms with the reality and gravity of his injury as he underwent a season-ending surgery.

Nevertheless, the Knicks reached the second round of the NBA Playoffs and pushed the Indiana Pacers to seven games without him.

On the other hand, Robinson had not yet been cleared for high-intensity weight-bearing activities during his rehab, according to Begley, with roughly five weeks left before training camp.

“So Robinson has to clear several hurdles before he gets clearance to fully participate in training camp,” Begley reported.

Robinson, who missed 50 games in the regular season, went down again in the Knicks’ second-round loss to the Pacers. He underwent another surgery in mid-May to repair a stress injury to his left ankle.

Robinson will play a critical role for the Knicks this season after Isaiah Hartenstein’s exit. Hartenstein, who was Robinson’s closest friend among his teammates last season, signed a three-year, $87 million deal in free agency with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jalen Brunson Named Team Captain

Jalen Brunson, who is also recovering from a broken left hand he sustained in their Game 7 loss to the Pacers, was named the Knicks’ team captain.

Brunson is the Knicks’ 36th team captain and the first since Lance Thomas during the 2018-19 season.

“I was honored,” Brunson told reporters during his introductory presser as the Knicks captain on August 8. “For me, it doesn’t really change anything that I go about doing every single day. I go in, I work hard, I do everything the same, but that fact that I can wear that title, it means a lot.

“To be named captain, that never really crossed my mind. The only thing I try to focus on is how can I help my team win, because I know winning helps everyone else individually. When you win as a team, it helps everyone individually. That’s just been my mindset through it all, and I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face, I’m honored.”

Jalen Brunson Explains Decision Give Knicks Massive Discount

Brunson also revealed his thinking in securing a much lesser contract extension this summer than wait for next year, where he could have signed for $113 million more.

“I think anyone who knows me knows what I’m about,” Brunson told reporters. “I think about every decision that I make, and I’m completely comfortable with what [I’ve] done. … I want to win. I want to win here.”

“A lot can happen in a year,” he added. “Everyone in this room has seen a lot happen in a year when players wait out. Two, I would love to be here, I want to be here for the rest of my career. Winning trumps everything that I do, individually.”

Brunson settled with a four-year, $156.5 million extension, the maximum the Knicks could offer this year. By doing so, the Knicks could duck the punitive second apron over the next two seasons to be able to keep their core which includes Brunson’s former Villanova teammates Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.