Getty Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball while defended by Obi Toppin #1 of the Indiana Pacers.
Former champion-turned-ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes the New York Knicks can reach the Eastern Conference Finals even without their three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle.
“Well, they don’t need Julius Randle in order for them to get to the Eastern Conference Finals,” Perkins said on the “NBA Today” on April 10. “The guy that they needed they got back in OG Anunoby and we saw what he did [Tuesday] night and I also saw what he did against Giannis Antetokounmpo when they played the Bucks a couple of nights ago when he was locking them up in the fourth quarter.”
Randle underwent a successful surgery on his dislocated right shoulder on Tuesday, April 9, after two months of dodging it and hoping a rehab can get him back to the court. The Knicks are 18-15 since he went down with the shoulder injury on March 27. They were 29-17 when he was healthy.
OG Anunoby’s Impact
On the other hand, the Knicks (47-32) improved to 17-3 with Anunoby after their back-to-back wins against the Bucks and the Chicago Bulls to jump to solo third in the Eastern Conference. They hold a half-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers (47-33) entering Thursday’s game against the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics (62-17).
On the surface, Anunoby’s numbers in 20 games with the Knicks — 14.4 points on 49% shooting and 37% from 3, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks — are pretty modest. But on a deeper inspection, what jumps out are the Knicks’ offensive and defensive ratings when he’s on the floor.
According to stats guru Tommy Beer, the Knicks are averaging 122.8 points per 100 possessions, which is higher than the league-leading Celtics’ 122.2 offensive rating. On the other end of the floor, the Knicks in Anunoby’s minutes are only allowing 100.2 per 100 possessions, which is better than the league-leading Minnesota Timberwolves’ 108.1 defensive rating.
Knicks Keen on Locking up OG Anunoby
The Knicks traded for Anunoby with the intent of re-signing him in the offseason. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski made the Knicks’ worst-kept secret known.
“Randle’s recovery and return next season — along with the re-signing of Anunoby — could make the Knicks one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference,” Wojnarowski wrote on April 4.
Anunoby will be eligible to sign a four-year extension worth $117 million or roughly $30 million in average annual value on June 30, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks. But the 3-and-D star can get more if he enters unrestricted free agency.
Anunoby is expected to decline his $19.9 million player option for next season to test the market but the Knicks have the inside track. He switched from Klutch Sports to Creative Artists Agency in anticipation of his pending free agency. CAA is a known bailiwick of Knicks president Leon Rose after serving there as head of their basketball operations before becoming a front office executive.
Julius Randle is Extension-Eligible This Summer
On top of Anunoby’s free agency, the Knicks also have decisions to make on their stars — Jalen Brunson and Randle — who are both extension-eligible this summer.
Locking up Brunson to a four-year, $156.5 million extension is a no-brainer. But Brunson might want to bet on himself next season to get max extension deal in the following summer.
The tricky part is Randle’s situation.
Randle, 29, is eligible for a four-year, $190.2 million extension this summer. He has been on two major surgeries in consecutive seasons. But after his ankle surgery last offseason, he’s shown the ability to rebound and re-imagine his game as he earned his third All-Star selection after a slow start to the season.
If the Knicks do not extend Randle this summer, the two-time All-NBA player will enter the final guaranteed season of his current contract with a $29.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
The Knicks decision could be contingent on how far can they go without Randle in the playoffs.