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Despite losing Julius Randle, the New York Knicks clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, despite losing the three-time All-Star, ex-Knick Eddie House made a bold claim about Randle on the April 15 episode of “The Carton Show.”
“Imma say this. It sounds funny when I think about it, and I’m saying it: The Knicks are better off without Julius Randle,” House said, per The Carton Show’s X account. “Imma tell you why. It’s because he’s a ball-stopper, and Jalen Brunson is (too). So now you got two guys that are gonna dominate the ball. I think Jalen is more of a guy that… dominates the ball, but he’s going to get others involved whereas Julius Randle is looking just to get his.”
House explained in more detail why Randle is different from Brunson in a bad way.
“He’s not really a playmaker. You can’t really play off of him. You’ll just be standing (as) a statue waiting for him to pass when he doesn’t have a shot. I mean, it sounds crazy, and I thought about it and when I’m saying it, but I think this Knicks team is a whole lot better (without him).”
House won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. They traded him to the Knicks in 2010 in exchange for Nate Robinson.
Julius Randle Wanted to Return
When Randle first injured himself against the Miami Heat, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said in a January 27 story that “it wasn’t immediately clear how much time Randle would miss due to the injury.”
However, Randle opted to have season-ending surgery to repair his shoulder. Following the announcement, the Knicks star clarified that he tried his hardest to come back.
“I want everyone to know that I did everything in my power to get back this season,” Randle told Bleacher Report on April 4. “That was my intention, to be playing right now. That’s why I didn’t opt for surgery when it happened. But what caused me to finally go through with getting surgery was about five weeks ago, I went through a full-contact session in pads and re-injured my shoulder. My [expletive] wasn’t stable. I felt like I was in the same state when I first dislocated it, and it’s been an uphill battle ever since.”
Pending any surprises, Randle should be fully healthy for the start of the 2024-25 season.
Julius Randle Might Not Get Extension
Randle is extension-eligible in 2024, but The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy explained why he believes the Knicks might pass on that. He explained in an April 12 story why he believes Randle’s contract situation is “complicated.” He first started with what Randle would make in a new deal and why there’s some appeal in keeping him.
“The power forward’s extension max is more than Brunson’s at roughly four years, $190 million ($47.5M average).
“His production — which includes three All-Star appearances in four years — suggests Randle’s deserving of another investment.”
He then followed it up with the red flags that the Knicks should think about if they consider extending Randle.
“But the 29-year-old also just underwent shoulder surgery — his second operation in less than a year — and the Knicks have made up for his offensive production with a heavier dose of Brunson.”
Bondy then used evidence to explain why extending Randle “doesn’t make much sense.”
“Heading into Thursday’s game against the Celtics, the Knicks were 18-15 without him.
“They were 5-1 in games Brunson and Anunoby played together without Randle.
“Additionally, an extension for Randle would come with a six-month trade restriction if it was more than a 5 percent raise, per the collective bargaining agreement.”
Randle has been with the Knicks since 2019.
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