The Knicks re-signed Precious Achiuwa to a one-year deal on Tuesday. The next order of business for the front office could be a contract extension for Julius Randle, but neither side is in a rush to get it done, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter video link).
“I don’t believe it’s at the forefront for either party, so it would take a major shift in thinking on both sides to get an extension done,” Begley said.
Randle becomes extension-eligible on Saturday. The veteran forward, who is coming off shoulder surgery, will be eligible for an extension of up to four years and $181.5MM. Randle has two years left on his current contract, which includes a $30.9MM option for the 2025/26 season.
We have more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Pistons’ offense should improve significantly during the upcoming season with the additions of Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley. However, they won’t make any real progress unless they show dramatic improvement defensively, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. New coach J.B. Bickerstaff asserted that defensive development will be a high priority. “Most of the time, people only care about the offensive development, right? They spend all their time working on step-back shots, between-the-legs and all that, but they don’t spend any time working on rotations or being in the proper spots. That is something we’re going to really, really handle,” he said recently.
- The Raptors will hold their first week of training camp in Montreal, according to a team press release. It’s the first time in franchise history they’ve trained in the city. They’ll wrap up their week in Montreal with a preseason opener against the Wizards on Oct. 6.
- The knocks against Kel’el Ware entering the draft were related to his effort and focus, the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang notes. Those supposed negatives certainly weren’t evident during the Heat‘s Las Vegas Summer League title run as Ware, a mid-first round pick, was named to the First Team while averaging 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.0 steal, and 1.5 blocks per game. What did Ware learn from his college experiences? “That there’s always more in the tank,” he said. “That I can always push past it and to always give more because it’s never really where my skill set stops at. There’s always more that I can improve and more that I can put on the floor to be able to perform better.”
Raps should sign Weynen Gabriel… Trade Bruce for Cam Johnson!
Ware is going to be a starter. Sooner than you think. Great pick ……
Geeezzz I wonder who was talking about Ware before the draft . hmmmm
Only talking heads push for salary extensions. Knicks know what they are doing now , finally.
That’s right. No need to rush Randle. E we need to see how he melds with the others. Was great with OG, but Bridges is going to cut into his shots as well.
Randle doesn’t need an extension. The FO gave him something much better. A platform to show he can be an efficient primary offensive option on a contender. If all goes well, everything else will follow, including Randle having the leverage to get a max contract. If not, the NYK FO will need to course correct, and it will likely be a difficult landscape for them, still needing a 2nd option but without much in the way of trade assets left. But this was the gamble the FO took when they made the Bridges trade. It was, in many ways, a gamble on Brunson-Randle as a championship 1-2. They don’t need to double down on that gamble by giving Randle a long term deal that reflects all the current “ifs” and “buts” – it’s more on Randle to remove them.