Shams Charania Says Teams Are ‘Monitoring’ Julius Randle’s Situation With The Knicks

Shams: “Julius Randle, he’s got a player option in 2025. He’s eligible for a 4-year. $181.5 million contract extension. Either way, significant money. Teams are monitoring this situation for sure, because how they handle that extension situation if that is a conversation, what transpires, I think that will be interesting. Because if you think about moveable assets, salaries, obviously Julius Randle has got the number if you are to make a big, big trade.”

Randle is a key piece for the Knicks and is one of their most reliable stars. Before his injury this season, Randle averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 46 games.

Randle potentially leaving the Knicks in the offseason definitely would be a surprising move. Randle is easily the Knicks' second-best player after Jalen Brunson, and his absence on the court during the playoffs was a big blow to their championship aspirations this season.

Randle was ruled out for the season at the beginning of April after he had spent a significant amount of time away due to a dislocated shoulder suffered in January. Prior to him being ruled out, there was optimism that Randle could return in time for the playoffs, especially as the Knicks had done a great job in staying afloat and securing a high seed in the Eastern Conference.

Randle proved to be the first of many major injury blows that the Knicks faced in this playoff run. By the end of their playoff run, all 5 of the Knicks starters, and key bench players had suffered injuries heading into the offseason. This was a concerning statistic for Knick fans.

Where Do The Knicks Go After Their Elimination From The Playoffs?

Julius Randle is far from the only question mark surrounding the Knicks this offseason. Firstly, most fans will be concerned about the injuries and recovery of their players, now that the season is over for them. But the injuries piling up in the playoffs is an indicator of a big problem the Knicks have had for years.

One of the biggest criticisms levied at Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has been him overworking his players, making them play big minutes during the regular season, leaving them exhausted and prone to injuries come playoff time. Chandler Parsons blamed Thibodeau recently for the injury crisis the Knicks were facing in the playoffs.

Towards the end of the playoffs, the Knicks were a team barely hanging on, with many of their players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby playing through injuries in order to give the team a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks will be hoping that the injuries to their players are not serious enough to impact the next season.