Daily Knicks
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Reevaluating the highs and lows from Knicks’ 2021 offseason

By Max LoSardo

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 08: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks reacts against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 08: RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks reacts against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks, Julius Randle
Julius Randle, New York Knicks. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

Julius Randle: Signed a four-year, $117 million extension

Grade: D+

I was tempted to grade this one lower, maybe even an F. But as I highlighted in-depth a month ago, the saving grace of the Randle extension is that he is also being paid at more or less market value. Randle will be roughly the 50th highest-paid player in the league in 2022-23.

And similar to most of these deals, at the time it made perfect sense to extend Randle at what had the potential to be a discount, as he could have been eligible for a five-year, $200 million deal if he had waited a season.

That’s laughable to think about now, but the Knicks felt like they had no choice but to extend their biggest star since Carmelo Anthony.

And with all of that being said, now that the season’s over the Randle extension can be viewed as nothing more than a failure.

New York’s biggest priority this offseason should arguably be getting rid of Randle. Obi Toppin looked like a different player to end the year, and the Knicks cannot allow the former No. 8 overall pick to sit on the bench behind a player like Randle, whose game not only stunts Toppin’s, but also RJ Barrett’s and the rest of the team.

Randle is only 27, and will most certainly contribute to winning basketball again. But after his tumultuous season, as he was ineffective on the court and disruptive off the court, he needs a fresh start. Defending the Randle extension, I wrote:

"If the Knicks didn’t re-sign Randle, he may have been shipped out ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. In reality, it wouldn’t have made any sense for New York to trade Randle while his value was at the lowest. If the Knicks want to trade him sometime in the future, there’s plenty of time for him to rehabilitate his value for a good return. However, if he was going into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, New York may have had no choice but to settle if the front office was going to let him walk… … Similarly, if Randle would’ve chosen to sign with another team, the Knicks would’ve received an even more modest haul in return in a sign-and-trade deal."

In retrospect, letting him walk would have been ideal. It would’ve been a simple and clean ending to the Randle era in New York. Unfortunately, the Knicks may have to take back someone else’s problem to get rid of theirs.

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