Report: Knicks Sign Julius Randle To Four-Year $117 Million Contract Extension
(CBSNewYork)- Julius Randle had the best season of his career in 2020-21 earning the Most Improved Player award as he helped lead the Knicks to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and their first playoff appearance since 2013. Now, it appears the Knicks have rewarded Randle for his star turn with a new contract.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks and Randle have agreed to a 4-year $117 million contract extension keeping him in the Big Apple through the 2025-26 season.
The 26-year-old Randle averaged 37.6 minutes per game across 71 starts for the team the 20-21 season putting up 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6 assists per outing. According to Wojnarowski, Randle could have signed a bigger deal next offseason as a free agent, but instead gave the Knicks more cap space by basing his extension off his current salary.
"Randle could've waited for his contract to expire next season and signed a new $200 million deal, but extending now off his current $19.8 million salary for 2021-22 gives the Knicks financial flexibility to shape the roster and allows him to commit through his prime to a franchise and city he has come to adore -- and one that has come to adore him," Wojnarowski wrote.
Randle initially joined the Knicks in 2019 as a free agent after spending the first five years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans. He was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
