The New York Knicks and Julius Randle are at something of a crossroads.
Randle is currently eligible for an extension with the Knicks. The 29-year-old Randle is set to make $28.9 million this season and has a player option worth $30.9 million for 2025-26. If Randle declines it, he can become a free agent next June.
A max extension for Randle would come in around for years, $181 million.
Randle has been eligible for an extension since early August, but thus far, there's been no sign that an extension is coming.
ESPN's Zach Lowe said on his "Lowe Post" podcast that he doesn't "expect" Randle is going to get an extension.
"This is kind of one of the big looming questions in the league right now," Lowe said. "Julius Randle is extension-eligible. There has not been an extension. I don't expect there to be an extension, just because the Knicks have to be very careful with their finances."
As Lowe noted, giving Randle his max extension would thrust the Knicks into the second apron, a financial threshold that severely limits how they could build their team.
Jalen Brunson signed his four-year, $156 million extension this summer, in part, to give the Knicks the financial wiggle room to avoid the second apron. Signing Randle to his max would essentially negate the advantages that Brunson gave the team.
Of course, Randle may not feel obligated to give the Knicks any sort of discount. He is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA player, who has already been playing on something of a team-friendly deal. Randle missed the Knicks' playoff run, but surely heard the talk about how good the Knicks would be if they were healthy — in other words, they missed Randle's presence.
Adding to the complex nature of a Randle extension is that he is somewhat of an odd fit with the Knicks. Last year, the Knicks reshaped into a Brunson-led offense, with a slew of two-ways guards and wings who can shoot, defend, and make a play around him.
Randle, for all of his offensive skills, is a natural power forward who isn't a great shooter, can't easily shift up or down in positions, and isn't a strong defender.
The Knicks' record without Randle doesn't support this, but there are those who believe the Knicks are better off long-term without Randle.
On "The Lowe Post," ESPN's NBA front office insider Bobby Marks suggested that Randle may have to take a discount extension with the Knicks, noting that there aren't many teams who will be able to pay Randle if he hits free agency.
There is another option, which could be why an extension hasn't happened yet. The Knicks could have Randle play out this season, then pick up his player option for 2025-26, then sign him to an extension. Such a deal would keep Randle locked up with the team and paid, while giving the Knicks salary cap relief for two seasons before hitting the second apron.
There is still time for Randle and the Knicks to agree to an extension, but with training camp just weeks away, the discussion of Randle's future will only get louder.