Julius Randle Is EXACTLY Who Us Knicks Fans Have Been Waiting For, So Let's Make Him A Knick Forever
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This isn't a caught up in the moment, fucking cised to be over .500 going into the All-Star game thing. Julius Randle was made to be a Knick. Think of everyone who has come through MSG and worn the blue and orange. Most were flashes in the pan, some we fell in love with, some will always have a special spot in our heart. We all loved Marcus Morris last year when he said they were bringing back the 90s Knicks toughness and then immediately booped Justin Anderson in the head with a ball:
The difference is Marcus Morris is a nice piece on a team. Julius Randle is an ALL-STAR. He's a bully. He is determined to bring the Knicks back to relevancy and he's cool with him being the No. 1 option or the No. 2 option. You can win with Randle as a No. 2, especially if it's this version of him. Here's the thing. Randle is still just 26 years old. He's young with plenty of prime years left. He's a career 17/9/3 guy. Ain't too shabby as a guy who is a playmaking forward.
So here's the deal. You sign him to that extension ASAP. (h/t NY Post):
As much money as Randle’s three-year, $60 million contract seemed when he signed it, it’s not that overwhelming now. Under Randle’s third-year figure of $20 million, the Knicks could only offer him a top deal of four years, $106 million that would extend starting in 2022-23 at $24 million, according to ESPN’s cap guru Bobby Marks. If Randle’s final year were technically a team option, they could have offered him a max extension. However, it’s technically a partially guaranteed final year.
If nothing happens, Randle stands to be a restricted free agent in 2022.
4 for $106? Absolutely you do that. You're getting Randle until he's 31? That's perfect. And just at 4/106? That's completely reasonable. Maybe you throw in some bonuses and shit to entice him more. If he wants more money, you have to wait until he's a restricted free agent and deal with it. But if he's fine with that extension and locked up making $20-25 million every year and being a Knick, let's get this shit done.
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For the first time in forever this Knicks team has a lot of 'us' guys. By that I mean guys that were drafted by the Knicks or guys like Randle that seemed to breakout with the Knicks. They are one of us no matter where they started. RJ, Obi, Quickley, Randle are all us guys. Keep this core together with the picks packages that the Knicks have and keep building. Make a run at a star if you can, shit Windy seems to think so:
More importantly I love that Randle is saying now his desire to be a Knick for the long term. He's the type of guy we've been waiting for. An All-Star, a bully a dude who will have the Garden going crazy when it's back to normal. Worldwide Wes and Leon Rose both know him well. Let's make it happen.
WE GOT PLENTY OF NEW KNICKS SHIRTS IN THE STORE, BUY ONE NOW: