Getty Julius Randle visits The Empire State Building on May 31, 2024 in New York City.
If his return to the Creative Artists Agency was not enough to send a clear message he wanted to remain with the New York Knicks amid trade rumors, Julius Randle made it explicitly clear on Friday, May 31.
“I’ve always said from the very beginning I would love to be here in New York and I would love to continue to add on to what the guys did in the playoffs,” Randle said, per New York Post. “I feel like that was my personal — biggest personal goal, or I’d say team goal in a sense, was when I got here is to be able to build and compete and to be at the point where we’re at now, where it’s an actual possibility [to win a championship].
So really, that’s what my focus is, doing whatever I can to make sure I get healthy and get back and make sure I’m ready whenever we start playing again and contribute to winning. That’s really all my focus is and that stuff always in my career has taken care of itself.”
On May 24, The Athletic reported that the Knicks are not shopping Randle. But if one of their star trade targets becomes available, the Knicks “recognize that their quest for a star could require” having to trade Randle.
Julius Randle’s Looming Extension
Randle is eligible to sign as much as a four-year, $181.5 million extension on August 3. He recently switched back to CAA, who negotiated his last two contracts with the Knicks, in anticipation of extension talks after briefly moving to WME Sports before the season.
If the Knicks do not extend Randle this summer, the three-time All-Star forward would enter the final guaranteed season of his current four-year, $117 million contract with a $29.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
Aside from the maximum four-year deal the Knicks can offer, Randle can also tuck in an additional three-year $140.3 million extension if he opts in to his player option, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
If they extend Randle this offseason, he will not be eligible to be traded for six months or until the February trade deadline next season.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on May 20 that teams are interested to see how Randle’s extension talks with the Knicks pan out.
“Teams are monitoring the situation for sure because of how [the Knicks] handle that extension situation — if that is a conversation, what transpires I think that will be interesting because when you think about movable assets salaries, obviously Julius Randle has got the number if you are to make a big, big trade,” Charania said on “Run It Back” on FanDuel TV.
Julius Randle ‘Excited’ to Get Back
The Knicks are in a tricky spot after Randle underwent his second major surgery in consecutive seasons. Last season, Randle struggled with an ankle injury in the playoffs. This time he missed it entirely after dislocating his right shoulder on January 27.
The Knicks were 12-2 in January with Randle, Jalen Brunson, who is also extension-eligible, and midseason trade acquisition OG Anunoby, who is expected to become an unrestricted free agent, all healthy. Randle is optimistic of the Knicks’ chances next season because of that.
“I’m excited just to be able to help whenever I can get back,” Randle said, per New York Post. “That’s the motivation. We can always say what if, this, that and the next. But our job right now is to one, get healthy first off, and then continue to get better, make strides and continue to just improve as individuals. I think everybody is excited to get back and get things going next year. But a little time before that.”