Knicks News: Julius Randle Denied Giannis Antetokounmpo Treatment as $181 Million Burden Adds to New York’s Misery

The New York Knicks made the splashiest and, to an extent, the craziest off-season deal this summer with Mikal Bridges! Everyone who expected Jalen Brunson to follow suit saw NYC’s own give up quite a chunk of his salary to help his franchise navigate the tricky CBA landscape. With Brunson’s selfless act, James Dolan and Co. are safely under the tax apron, but if anybody thought their misery was over, think again. The Knicks still have a key piece of their championship group to consider – Julius Randle.

With the 29-year-old becoming extension eligible on August 3rd, Fred Katz of The New York Times reported that he can sign a contract worth up to $181.5 million for over four years. Locking in the 6’8, 250-pound forward would mean the ‘Big Apple’ has their contending squad in place. But it comes with an uncomfortable dilemma, particularly affecting their long-term finances. How so?

“Just three years ago, when he extended with the Knicks on a four-year, $117 million deal, Randle opted for security over the chance at more money in free agency. This time, if he were to wait until his current contract expires, he wouldn’t be as certain to land a max contract as, say, Brunson would have been had he not extended in July,” Fred wrote.

Simply put, while he can sign a four-year deal now, waiting another year could give him a large contract. The reason being Randle’s 10-year experience, which means his max in free agency starts at 35% of his salary cap, which gives us a whopping $313 million over five years. That’s nearly $63 million a year! But once again, as Katz notes in his report, “those giant maxes are reserved for the Jayson Tatums and Giannis Antetokounmpos of the world. Despite an impressive résumé, Randle isn’t in that crowd.”

Tough to hear, but it seems to be the reality that the Knicks are grappling with. And it seems like it could go on for a while.

The Knicks and Julius Randle find themselves caught in a loop

Jalen Brunson gave Dolan quite a generous gift. Yes, he surely saved a couple of big bucks. But what really brings the franchise superstar’s sacrifice full circle is that it allows the ‘Empire State’ to be flexible beyond the money. With the arrival of Bridges, the Knicks have further ingratiated themselves into the title run for the 2024-25 season.

The message is clear – we are here to win it. Even so, in the process, if they want to revamp or fortify their roster, they can do so. Thanks to Brunson’s 4-year $156.5 million, NYC can use exceptions to sign players or engage in trades that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. Getting hard-capped isn’t exactly something teams look forward to. And with the new CBA, going above the second apron inevitably puts teams looking to improve at an alarming disadvantage.

So, even the $40.5 million starting salary/year that Randle is worth now can become an encumbrance when the Knicks enter the 2025-26 season. It leaves both Julius Randle and the front office with a huge question mark in front of them. And it is bound to get harder because the ex-Kentucky product’s contributions go beyond just statistics.

Since his arrival in 2019, Randle has helped the Knicks end a long playoff drought. With that, it strengthened his position as one of the top power forwards in the league, paving the way for 3 All-Star selections and 2 All-NBA honors. So yeah, the Knicks find themselves practically caught between a rock and a hard place. Nevertheless, decisions have to be made. We’ll be keeping a sharp lookout for the Knicks and Randle updates. So be sure to keep checking this space for them.

 Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.