Former GM Explains Why Knicks Must Sign Julius Randle

Former New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry hopes that his successors in Madison Square Garden’s front offices will take a page out of his book.

Perry appeared on ESPN’s “NBA Today” this week and made the case for the Knicks to offer three-time All-Star Julius Randle a long-term contract extension. Randle is eligible for a nine-figure deal starting this month and Perry believes dual signatures on such a contract are no-brainers.

“The Knicks should definitely sign Julius Randle to an extension,” Perry firmly declared. “The Knicks are in desperate need of having that second scorer. We saw that they missed that in the playoffs. Big-bodied (Jalen) Brunson … needs somebody to take the load off of him when other teams double-team him, go after him, scheme against him.”

“Julius has a personal connection with this organization. He’s played for (head coach Tom Thibodeau) for the last four years. He has a connection with the teammates, the front office. He knows what it’s like to play in New York. He has unfinished business playing in the New York. He wants to help take this team not only to a conference championship but to an NBA Finals. You’ve definitely got to re-sign him because he’s reliable, he’s tough, and he fits well with this group, in my opinon.”

Perry was in the front office when the Knicks originally signed Randle to a three-year, $62.1 million deal in 2019. He was later inked to a four-year, $117.1 million extension after a 2021 breakout campaign.

While it feels like Brunson has effectively usurped the role of Knicks franchise face, Randle undoubtedly remains one of the defining names of the current decade. He is one of two players who have been around for the entirety of the Thibodeau era (alongside Mitchell Robinson) and helped launch New York back into the realm of relevancy with playoff appearances in three of the last four seasons.

Perry’s point of unfinished business likely plays off one of the reasons why the Knicks would be reluctant to offer Randle a long-term deal: the past two postseasons have been marred by Randle injuries, as he was able to partake in the 2023 trip, albeit far from full strength, despite an ankle ailment and he missed the most recent go-around after his latest tour ended with a shoulder woe in January.

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