All-Star Julius Randle wants to be with the Knicks for life
The 2020-21 season has been nothing short of a breakout campaign for rising star Julius Randle. The 26-year-old is the key cog toward pushing the New York Knicks back into the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Following the Knicks’ clinching a postseason berth, Randle voiced on The Victory podcast this week that he wants to retire with the franchise. (h/t Coby Green of SNY.tv)
“I love playing in New York. I want to retire as a New York Knick,” Randle said.
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He is currently in the second year of his three-year, $62 million deal that runs through the 2021-22 season. Randle is slated to make $19.8 million in the final, with only $4 million of that guaranteed.
The mutual interest between the two sides will make working out an extension a more straightforward process. The Knicks can reportedly offer Randle a four-year deal worth $119 million and make his salary next season fully guaranteed.
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However, Randle can take the route of waiting until the following offseason to sign the max five-year deal worth $201 million. The question becomes whether he wants to take the risk of waiting one more year before signing that contract.
Much can change over a year, but his trajectory suggests that he could continue to play at an elite level. Randle is expected to earn an All-NBA team selection this season behind his tremendous production, averaging 24.0 points, 10.2 points, and 5.9 assists per contest on 45.7% shooting from the floor and 41.2% from 3-point range.
