The New York Knicks barely made it to the end of last season. The icing on the cake was when Jalen Brunson fractured his hand in the final game of 2023-24. The injuries were too much for New York to overcome.
It started in December when Mitchell Robinson injured his ankle and had surgery. A month later, Julius Randle dislocated his shoulder, and OG Anunoby hurt his ankle. Randle was the only one out of that trio who didn't return for the playoffs.
Hopes were high for Randle's return, but he decided to have season-ending surgery. If he returned without surgery, he would've risked further damage to his shoulder. The silver lining is that he had surgery before the season ended rather than wait until the offseason and possibly delay his 2024-25 debut.
There have been questions about Randle's health with training camp opening in a few weeks. It seems like Robinson won't be ready for the start of camp. The Knicks being down two starters on opening night would be less than ideal. Luckily, that shouldn't be the case.
Julius Randle will reportedly be ready for the start of the season
In the first episode of 'Julius Randle: Family, Recovery, and Life Beyond Basketball,' Kendra Randle said her husband is ahead of schedule in his rehab and will be ready for the start of the season.
Three months ago, Randle was a guest on the '7PM in Brooklyn' podcast with Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero. The All-Star forward said he was "good" and would be ready for 2024-25. It's a great sign that's still the case with training camp around the corner.
Randle became extension-eligible on Aug. 3, but the two sides haven't agreed to a deal. He's eligible for a four-year deal worth up to $181.5 million. If he signed an extension now, he wouldn't be trade-eligible until after the trade deadline. Randle could opt into his $30.9 million player option for 2025-26 and extend by Oct. 21 (like Josh Hart did last offseason).
Many questions are swirling about Randle's future in New York and whether he's still a good fit with the Knicks. New York didn't secure the No. 2 seed because Randle was sidelined; the team did so despite him being out. Let's not forget he's a two-time All-NBA player and three-time All-Star with the Knicks.
It was hard for Randle to watch from the sidelines in the second half of last season. Luckily, he won't have to do that to start 2024-25.