Insider: Knicks Star ‘Extraordinarily Tradable’

Jalen Brunson’s sacrifices on his recent contract extension was done in the name of keeping the current iteration of the New York Knicks together longer, but the fate of one major contributor continues to hang in the balance.

September has arrived and the Knicks inch closer to a season where three-time All-Star Julius Randle does not have a long-term contract. With big checks set to be written to Brunson, OG Anunoby, and perhaps even Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have a decision to make on Randle … and it could be one centered on a painful yet necessary parting, according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst.

“He is eligible for a four-year, $181 million extension,” Windhorst explained on The Hoop Collective podcast. “However, the Knicks have to be careful with their salary commitments, because of Anunoby. Even though Brunson is a huge discount, that is a big salary on there and they’re going to have to extend Mikal Bridges as well.”

“Because of (Randle’s) $29 million salary, he’s extraordinarily tradable and … the Knicks do still have a couple of first-round picks that they can move.”

Those who view Randle as the de facto odd man out of the Knicks’ Villanova-heavy set-up do so at their own risk: Randle was the spark that lit the Knicks’ new decade fire and has weathered several storms to become a reliable NBA All-Star. and he was the undisputed face of Manhattan basketball until Brunson showed up.

But it’s fair to question whether the Knicks have reached a Randle peak of sorts: the past two New York playoff trips have been marred by Randle injuries and Brunson’s unintentional coup is evidenced by the way the Knicks have built around him with a smaller, Villanova-dominated lineup.

Again, Randle has proven more than capable of headlining a team to reasonable success and helped put the Knicks back on the NBA map. But the Knicks’ expanding spotlight on Brunson could cause him to opt out of his $31 million player option for next season and test the free agency waters, which would hit fast forward on potential trade negotiations.

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