New York Knicks: Julius Randle deal a win for both sides

The New York Knicks’ biggest prize in free agency looks like it will be Julius Randle, and the agreed-upon deal is a big win for everyone involved.

The New York Knicks have been preparing for 2019 NBA free agency for months. They had their eyes set on two max players after they cleared the necessary cap space in the Kristaps Porzingis trade prior to the NBA Trade Deadline.

Fans were excited about the team’s outlook, but things quickly took a turn for the worst. Before free agency even began, Knicks fans were disappointed.

Prior to things officially getting underway June 30, it was announced that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the two main targets for New York, were not coming to the Knicks. Well, they were going to New York, but to the Barclays Center to play for the Brooklyn Nets, not Madison Square Garden to play for the Knicks.

To make things even worse, it sounds like the outcome was self-inflicted. Owner James Dolan was not prepared to offer Durant a max contract, which essentially took the orange and blue out of the running with everyone else offering max deals, including the Golden State Warriors, who offered him a five-year supermax.

That disappointment led to some strong feelings from fans. However, the Knicks quickly pivoted to another player: Julius Randle.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, New York and Randle agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal.

While Randle was not who fans were hoping for as the team’s big splash this offseason, this deal is a win for both sides.

For starters, Randle is coming off a career season with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 30.6 minutes per game. Randle also showed improvement in his shooting stroke, knocking down 34.4 percent of his 3-point attempts.

The seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft began showing signs of improvement in his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Randle was unhappy about his role to start the season, but used that as motivation to get it done on the court. He carried that motivation over to New Orleans and if he takes another step forward with New York, he could make his first career All-Star game.

At 24 years old, Randle fits the organization’s timeline as well. Power forward was a barren wasteland for the team without Kristaps Porzingis last season, and that spot will be locked down by Randle for at least two or three seasons.

Randle is also a huge upgrade over players such as Lance Thomas, Henry Ellenson, Mario Hezonja and Noah Vonleh, all players who held down the power forward position last season with Porzingis sidelined. The former Kentucky Wildcat is also a strong complementary piece alongside presumed starting center Mitchell Robinson.

Randle’s blossoming offensive game fits well alongside Robinson, who is looking to expand his offensive repertoire but is currently limited to alley-oops and put-back dunks. Defensively, where Randle leaves something to be desired, Robinson can help clean things up with his elite rim protection.

Both players are great rebounders as well, giving the Knicks — who were a below-average rebounding team last year and got out-rebounded by 2.7 per game — two players they know will crash the glass consistently.

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Off the court, contract-wise, this is also a win for both sides. Randle found a cold market last year despite a breakout with the Lakers.

He signed a two-year, $18 million deal with the Pelicans with a player option for Year 2. He parlayed that deal into a big raise with New York, which makes it a win for him. However, this isn’t too big of a risk for the Knicks either.

Look at some of the deals being handed out this summer so far. Getting a soon-to-be 25-yearold coming off a career season for $21 million per year is a solid deal. Even better, the third year of the deal is a team option.

So, if things aren’t going as planned, New York could cut bait. Or, if Randle continues on his current path and becomes an All-Star, the Knicks have him locked into a very favorable third year with Bird Rights to retain him beyond that.

That deal is also constructed for Randle to possibly become a free agent again after his seventh year in the league. That means he’d be entering the next plateau for a max contract, which is 30 percent of the salary cap.

Tobias Harris just re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for the max and received a five-year, $180 million deal. Kyrie Irving left the Boston Celtics to sign with the Brooklyn Nets and his max would have been four years, $141 million. That is an average of more than $35 million per year and could be even higher in 2-3 years when Randle could become a free agent again.

If Julius Randle wants to cash in, he will have to continue playing well. The Knicks would love to see him continue developing into a max-contract player on their watch. While fans were disappointed at first, this deal is a big win for both the organization and the player.