Julius Randle 'would definitely love' to be with Knicks long term but focused on this season
Julius Randle puts up a shot over the Pacers' Domantas Sabonis in Knicks' win on Feb. 27, 2021. Credit: AP/Elsa
There was a time, just over a year ago, when the Knicks were in the process of dismantling the work of past regimes and willing to convert as many holdovers as possible into future assets. They traded Marcus Morris, who had been the steadiest contributor, for a first-round pick. There was little secret that for the right price, Julius Randle could be had, too.
Randle stayed, though, and if the thought was that the Knicks would test his trade value again this season, there has been little doubt that the 26-year-old All-Star has shifted the thinking.
Randle arrived in training camp in better shape and with sharper skills along with a clear mind, becoming the embodiment of new coach Tom Thibodeau on the court. He entered Thursday night’s game against the Pistons averaging 23.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, all career highs.
And now, as he prepares to depart for his first appearance as an NBA All-Star, Randle said he would like to make this stop a long-term investment.
He has a lightly guaranteed $19.8 million contract for next season, as the previous management team gave him a $4 million buyout on the deal. But this offseason he will be eligible to sign a four-year contract extension, a talk that the Knicks likely will have with him.
"Yeah, it’s always a thought," Randle said. "When I came here almost two years ago, that was the plan. I wanted to be here long term. I want to be a Knick. So my thoughts never changed. I would definitely love to be here long term.
"When we get to that part, sit down and talk, whatever. But right now I’m more focused on the team, getting a win tonight and the team getting where we’re going."
Under the collective bargaining agreement, Randle is eligible for a four-year, $106 million extension that would start at $24 million in 2022-23. If he maintains his level of production, that would be a bargain.
More important, as the Knicks have learned in recent failed pursuits, bringing in a star is not an easy task, even with the team loaded with salary-cap space.
"Like I said, we’ll see when we get to that time," Randle said. "But right now, like I said, I’m really just focused on what we have to do as a team. That’s so far ahead in the future. When that time presents itself, I’ll be ready. We’ll talk or whatever, but I’m really just focused on this team, first off getting a win tonight going into the All-Star break, getting my body right so I’m healthy, staying on top of what I have to, starting off the second half of the season strong. That’s where my focus is right now."
Randle was part of the Knicks’ Plan B free-agent haul in the summer of 2019 when, after trading away Kristaps Porzingis, they believed they could lure multiple stars. Instead, Randle was the biggest prize of a huge cast of characters.
After again failing to get one of the top free agents this past offseason, the Knicks have seen many of the top free-agent targets who could have been on the market this coming offseason opt to sign extensions to remain with their current teams.
Randle insists that the trade talk and uncertainty never entered his mind.
"No. I never worry about those type of things," he said. "I never really got the feeling I was going anywhere, honestly. As a basketball player, we focus on the craft. You focus on what you can control and everything else takes care of itself. But I never really was worried about leaving, no."
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
