Team Giannis or LeBron? Knicks All-Star Julius Randle Makes His Pick

When the New York Knicks forward sets off for Salt Lake City, he appears to have a preference where he ends up.

Julius Randle is looking for a new team. 

New York Knicks fans can rest assured that Randle has no intentions of leaving Manhattan. He will, however, be a de facto free agent when he joins the rest of his basketball brethren in Salt Lake City over the weekend. 

Randle will be one of 22 players partaking in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), which will retain the "fantasy draft" format introduced in 2018. Unlike prior editions, the All-Star draft will be held shortly before tip-off at Vivint Arena as opposed to days before the game. This year's teams will be selected by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who each earned the honor by standing as the leading candidates in fan voting.

Speaking prior to the Knicks' final game before the break, a Wednesday night tilt in Atlanta, Randle made it clear that he has a bit of a preference in terms of which superstar enlists his services.

"I've never played with LeBron, so it would be fun to do before he gets his old (butt) out of here," Randle said with a smile in video from SNY. 

James has been chosen as a captain ... and thus a drafter ... in all five editions of the fantasy format. 

The basketball gods apparently have some vendetta against a Randle/James collaboration. Randle had to go against James, the NBA's newly-minted all-time leading scorer, during his previous All-Star showing in 2021 when he was chosen by Kevin Durant as the 18th of 23 picks. Behind an MVP showing from Antetokounmpo, Team LeBron took home a 170-150 decision in Atlanta.

Previously, James signed with Los Angeles in 2018, mere days before the former Laker Randle signed with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he spent a single season before landing in New York. 

In addition to James, Randle also wants to play with his close friend and current Los Angeles Clipper Paul George, who will be making his eighth All-Star appearance on Sunday. George was chosen by James as the next pick after Randle during the 2021 selections. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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