The New York Knicks have an interesting decision to make with All-Star Julius Randle this off-season regarding a potential contract extension or waiting until after the 2021-22 campaign to offer him an even more lucrative deal.
Randle had himself one of the best seasons in Knicks history this past season, averaging 24.1 points, 6.0 assists, and shot .456 from the field. He also set a career-high from the three-point line, hitting on 41% of his shots on 5.5 attempts per contest. Altogether, Randle proved he could be a building block for the organization moving forward after struggling in specific categories leading up to the 2020 season.
At 26 years old, Julius has plenty of great basketball left on the horizon and considering the Knicks don’t stumble upon star players very often, retaining him and pairing with another top player would be an ideal scenario.
However, the Knicks need to show the league they are loyal to the players who perform well, and that fact alone may help sway other stars to MSG.
Nonetheless, what would the max contract look like for Julius Randle in terms of years and money?
What a max-extension would look like:
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, Randle could sign a four-year, $106 million extension with the Knicks ‘this’ offseason, keeping him in New York through the 2025-26 season.
If President Leon Rose offered Randle a max extension, he would earn approximately $26.5 million per season over the next four years, a luxurious payday. Julius has one year left on his contract at $19.8 million in base salary, and locking him in now would save them a pretty penny.
What a max-contract after the 2021 season would look like:
If Randle decides to decline a max extension or the Knicks prefer to wait until after next season to gauge his price tag, they could end up paying significantly more (or less). A max contract in the NBA takes up approximately 30% of the salary cap, and with the cap set at about $109 million, he would earn nearly $33 million per season.
If Julius feels confident he can replicate the only performance he’s ever had to earn him an All-Star appearance, he could tack on an extra $7 million per season to his AAV, but it is a risk. Either way, he’s walking away with an exorbitant amount of cash flow, and he might be more willing to take the sure thing if the Knicks are willing to offer an extension in August.