Windhorst: Knicks’ Julius Randle ‘Extraordinarily Tradable’ with $29M 2024-25 Salary

Julius Randle could be on his way out of New York.

During Monday’s episode of The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Randle’s reasonable salary makes him a moveable piece and that the team still has other assets to make another splashy transaction.

“Because of that $29 million salary, he is extraordinarily tradable,” Windhorst said. “The Knicks still do have a couple of first-round picks that they can move.”

Randle is entering the final year of his current contract, although he does have a $31 million player option for 2025-26. Windhorst noted this and said that Randle could be a candidate for a much more significant deal.

“His value, if he is 100% is more than that,” Windhorst said. “There is no reason why if he is playing at the top of his game, why he shouldn’t seriously consider opting out of that.”

He is eligible for a four-year, $181 million extension but that may be a steep price for the Knicks to pay. New York is currently set to pay hefty contracts to Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby while Mikal Bridges is inching closer towards needing a new deal.

The Knicks are a better team with Randle in the fold, as he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and five assists in 46 games in 2023-24. He is a three-time All-Star and could be a strong option for a Knicks team that has championship aspirations in 2024-25.

However, keeping him beyond 2024-25 could be daunting, and re-distributing his value into multiple areas on the team could be good for next season and beyond.