If anybody thought the New York Knicks‘ misery was over, think again! The team made the splashiest and, to an extent, the craziest off-season deal this summer with Mikal Bridges, and added Jalen Brunson into their roster with an “unprecedented financial concession” of over $100 million. However, they still have a key piece of their championship group to consider – Julius Randle.

With the 29-year-old becoming extension eligible on August 3, Fred Katz of The New York Times reported that he can sign a contract worth up to $181.5 million for over 4 years. Locking in the 6’8, 250-pound forward would mean the ‘Big Apple’ has their contending squad in place. But it comes with an uncomfortable dilemma, particularly affecting their long-term finances. How so?

Well, as it turns out, Randle can sign a four-year deal now, but waiting another year could give him a large contract. The reason: Randle’s 10-year experience. What it means is that if he waits until free agency in 2025, he can potentially land himself a $313 million deal over 5 years. That’s nearly $63 million per year.

“Just three years ago, when he extended with the Knicks on a four-year, $117 million deal, Randle opted for security over the chance at more money in free agency. This time, if he were to wait until his current contract expires, he wouldn’t be as certain to land a max contract as, say, Brunson would have been had he not extended in July,” Fred wrote.

But then, there’s another catch. He’s not a Jayson Tatum or the Greek Freak. That’s what Katz notes in his report: “Those giant maxes are reserved for the Jayson Tatums and Giannis Antetokounmpos of the world. Despite an impressive résumé, Randle isn’t in that crowd.”

Notably, Tatum became the newest member of NBA’s $300 million club after the Boston Celtics star agreed to a contract extension worth $315 million over five years. According to reports, his supermax contract became the largest in NBA history and surpassed his teammate Jaylen Brown’s ($304 million over five years).

Stats wise, the 29-year-old Knicks star has a playoff record and a regular season record of 7-8 (46.7%) and 273-368 (42.6%), respectively. On the other hand, Tatum flaunts a 68-45 (60.2%) playoff record, and a 339-174 (66.1%) regular season record. For Antetokounmpo, those numbers stand at 43-36 (54.4%) and 452-340 (57.1%) respectively.

Tough to hear, but it seems to be the reality that the Knicks are grappling with. And it seems like it could go on for a while.

The Knicks and Julius Randle find themselves caught in a loop

Jalen Brunson gave Dolan quite a generous gift. But what really brings the franchise superstar’s sacrifice full circle is that it allows the ‘Empire State’ to be flexible beyond the money. With the arrival of Bridges, the Knicks have further ingratiated themselves into the title run for the 2024-25 season.

The message is clear – we are here to win it. Even so, in the process, if they want to revamp or fortify their roster, they can do so. Thanks to Brunson’s 4-year $156.5 million, NYC can use exceptions to sign players or engage in trades that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. Getting hard-capped isn’t exactly something teams look forward to. And with the new CBA, going above the second apron inevitably puts teams looking to improve at an alarming disadvantage.

So, even the $40.5 million starting salary/year that Randle is worth now can become an encumbrance when the Knicks enter the 2025-26 season. It leaves both Julius Randle and the front office with a huge question mark in front of them. And it is bound to get harder because the ex-Kentucky product’s contributions go beyond just statistics.

Since his arrival in 2019, Randle has helped the Knicks end a long playoff drought. With that, it strengthened his position as one of the top power forwards in the league, paving the way for 3 All-Star selections and 2 All-NBA honors. So yeah, the Knicks find themselves practically caught between a rock and a hard place. Nevertheless, decisions have to be made. We’ll be keeping a sharp lookout for the Knicks and Randle updates. So be sure to keep checking this space for more!

 Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.