Knicks Insider Drops Hard Truth on Julius Randle Extension

The New York Knicks superstar may only have one route with the team.

Dec 20, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

What's the New York Knick's handle on Julius Randle's situation? Entering a major transactional landmark, it's tenuous at best according to a report from Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Randle, one of the faces of the Knicks' Tom Thibodeau era, is eligible for an extension this month and the looming decision could affect the Knicks' present and future fortunes. While there doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two sides ... for good reason ... Katz's report hints at the Knicks valuing their financial progress in negotiations.

"Unless Randle, 29, is willing to take a substantial discount, it is difficult to find an agreement that makes sense for both sides," Katz said, referencing the discounted extension that Jalen Brunson agreed to, one that kept the Knicks below the all-important second tax apron. "Brunson’s discount keeps the Knicks below the second apron for the foreseeable future, especially during the first year (2025-26) when the extension kicks in."

"The Knicks can’t throw away the gift Brunson gave them ... Staying below it in 2025-26, when (Mikal) Bridges is in the final year of a team-friendly contract, is a must."

With all the hullabaloo around the Knicks' Villanova Wildcat litter, Randle has almost gotten lost in the fold, especially since he's been out since January with a shoulder injury. That didn't stop his third All-Star bid as a Knick, as Randle overcame a slow start to average 24 points and 9.2 rebounds before all was said and done.

Dec 27, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Consecutive postseasons, however, have been marred by Randle ailments, as he was far from 100 percent during the prior trip in 2023. That could make the Knicks reluctant to write out more big checks, especially considering some sizable ones are already heading Brunson and OG Anunoby's way.

"Randle may have to take far less than $40.5 million in starting salary to entice the Knicks into handing him a new contract this summer," Katz said. "But why should a 29-year-old who has made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA appearances in the past four seasons — an individual as responsible as anyone for carrying the Knicks out of the gutter and into the light — give back so much?"

Katz did lay out several scenarios where the two sides could come to a metropolitan compromise, primarily one where Randles goes with a 2024-25 player option in 2025-26 before they bite the apron's bullet in the following year. He also hints that Randle could be swayed to stay under the new contractual bargaining agreement rules that partly limit his long-term options.

"Randle accepting an extension that doesn’t give him much of a raise may seem like too much of a concession, but there’s also a world where it is his easiest route to get paid," Katz said. "That could be the Knicks’ selling point."

In any event, Randle's future gives this Knicks season a recurring suplot that can' be ignored when the ball tips off and quandary hovering over the most legitimately hopeful outlook the team has had in quite some time.

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