According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the New York Knicks and Julius Randle may have a contract extension brewing in the future. The play of Randle this season has shocked the entire NBA. He earned his first NBA All-Star appearance this season and has led the Knicks to the four-seed in the East. That means homecourt advantage. This offseason, according to Windhorst, the Knicks are going to try to lock their star up for the future.
When Obi Toppin was drafted and Randle’s $18.9M salary for the season loomed large over Knicks executives, Toppin was seen as the future. Randle would quickly put that to bed. His play this season started early and has been consistent. Along with his young cohort of teammates, he has found his destination in the NBA. The Knicks believe so too.
Here is Julius Randle getting “MVP” chants in Madison Square Garden at the end of April.
Julius Randle getting MVP chants from the Garden!!pic.twitter.com/1trDSuYPMG
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 29, 2021
Randle has changed his shot and gone from a sub-30% three-point shooter to 42% this season. The numbers are wild to look at next to each other. With his former college assistant, Kenny Payne on staff, plus a host of other former Kentucky players he surely feels comfortable. He is averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game this season. While Nikola Jokic is the clear MVP, Randle deserves to be in the top-5 conversation this season.
The New York Knicks are fun to watch. Randle is a big part of that fun, and guys like Immanuel Quickley and even Nerlens Noel have found roles on this team. Noel was one of the most talented shot blockers to play the game, his timing was unreal before his injury at Kentucky. He is showing flashes of that talent and timing again with the Knicks. There isn’t much you can hate on with this team. They are likable, and they’re beating most of your favorite teams out there.
