Former GM Urges Knicks to Keep Julius Randle
Former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry is urging his ex-employers to get a handle on Randle.
Julius Randle appears to be the New York Knicks' odd man out in more ways than one: not only is he not a Villanova alum but some observers view him as a prime candidate to be moved to create financial flexibility. Perry hopes New York goes another direction, putting forth his vision in an appearance on the "Hoop Genius" web series.
"People seem to forget who Julius Randle is," Perry proclaimed. "Julius Randle is the only three-time All-Star on his team. He's the only two-time All-NBA player. You cannot be rushing to get him out of the building."
Recency bias perhaps clouds the judgment of Randle critics: the 29-year-old has not played since late January due to a shoulder ailment but put forth his third All-Star campaign before he was ruled out for the season. Randle has also been named to two All-NBA teams over the last four seasons and is averaging 23.3 points and 9.9 rebounds in that span.
Perry admits that Randle can get lost in some recent hoopla, such as Jalen Brunson's emergence as a main attraction, OG Anunoby's newfound contract, and the recent trade for former Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges have pehaps buried the familiarity of Randle. He further emphasizes that the Knicks' offense would lose one of its main energizers if Randle was to be moved.
"I love OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, but they are not guys that you are running offense through. They play off of the other good players, the top players," Perry explained. "They're in their best position playing off of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, because those are your two guys who can really go get buckets against a set defense."
"Julius Randle, you hold onto him unless you can replace him with another All-NBA player or All-Star performer," Perry continued. Without him, I don't know: the Knicks would still be formidable, but they would miss a guy who can create offense against a set defense and when things broke down and everything wouldn't just have to be on Jalen Brunson's shoulders."
If anyone was aware of what Randle can bring to the table, it's Perry, who held the role of general manager when the Knicks brought him aboard on a three-year, $63 million deal in 2019. Randle has been a metropolitan mainstay ever since, but future financials may necessitate a transfer if the rest of the team's current core is to remain formidable and sustainable.
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks