The New York Knicks' two biggest stars will be eligible to sign extensions this summer. Jalen Brunson could sign an extension or wait until 2025 free agency to sign a larger contract. Julius Randle is in the same position. He has a player option for 2025-26, which he could decline next summer to enter free agency.
As for the 2024 offseason, Brunson isn't going anywhere. At this rate, he can stay in New York as long as he wants. Maybe Randle will be back in orange and blue next season, or perhaps he'll be on a new team after spending the past five seasons with the Knicks.
On 'Run It Back' on Monday, Shams Charania said that teams are "monitoring" how the Knicks handle Randle's extension.
"Julius Randle, he's got a player option in 2025...Teams are monitoring this situation for sure, because how [the Knicks] handle that extension situation, if that is a conversation, what transpires, I think that will be interesting."@ShamsCharania on the #Knicks offseason… pic.twitter.com/9sN71RcNHF
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 20, 2024
If he doesn't sign an extension this summer, that doesn't mean he'll be traded before next season starts. New York could still trade him before the 2025 deadline or re-sign him next summer if he declines his option.
If the Knicks do decide to move on from Randle this summer, these three teams could be ready to trade for the three-time All-Star.
3 Teams that could be interested in trading for Julius Randle
3. New Orleans Pelicans
Randle spent one season in New Orleans in 2018-19 before he signed with New York. That same summer, the Pelicans landed the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. High hopes for New Orleans' future have since turned into disappointment. Zion Williamson has struggled to stay healthy, and the Pelicans have only two playoff trips (both first-round exits) since the 2019-20 season.
If New Orleans decides to re-tool its roster with a Williamson or Brandon Ingram trade, the front office could be interested in reuniting with Randle. Ingram is entering the final season of his contract, and like Randle, all eyes are on what the Pelicans will do.
Of course, if the Pelicans are one of the teams monitoring Randle, the biggest question is what they would send out in a trade. Knicks fans shouldn't want an oft-injured Williamson and don't need Ingram, either. Maybe Randle would go back to Louisiana in a multi-team deal.
Soon enough, New Orleans' offseason plans will be known. For a team that hasn't had any postseason success, Randle (who turned into a star after leaving), the Pelicans could be eyeing their former forward.