The Knicks’ front office once again will seek to upgrade its roster this summer, and that conceivably could mean including Julius Randle and the remaining three years and $82.7 million on his contract in a deal to acquire a superstar.
In his first public comments since the Knicks’ second-round elimination loss in Miami on May 12 — and his arthroscopic ankle surgery about three weeks later — Randle said he believes this past season, with the No. 8 Heat reaching the NBA Finals, showed “we’re not that far off.”
The two-time All-Star forward also reiterated his love for New York even though it’s admittedly “been tough” at times for him and his family.
“Honestly, I love it, bro. It’s made me the player I am today. It pushes me,” Randle said on Paul George’s “Podcast P” on Monday. “It all depends on how you look at it. It’s been tough on some people, and it’s been tough for me, it’s been tough on my family.
“But the Garden is a different animal. It’s taught me so much more about myself and as a player and who I am as a human. I’ve grown a lot, but that sh-t [will] age you, though, bro. It’s almost like being the president and you see them and they look great. And then four years later, they got the image and they look old as hell. That’s how I feel right now.”
The 28-year-old Randle, who laughed as he made those latter comments, made his second All-Star team in three years and was named to the All-NBA third team after averaging 25.1 points and 10 rebounds in 77 appearances.
But he missed the final five games of the regular season after spraining his left ankle and aggravated the injury during the Knicks’ first-round series victory over the Cavaliers.
He endured his second poor postseason in three years, averaging 16.6 points on 37.4 percent shooting overall and 25.8 percent from 3-point range in 10 playoff games.
Asked earlier for his general thoughts on his first four seasons in New York, Randle joked, “First things first, if you want a lesson, don’t do the thumbs-down. That didn’t work out well for me.”
He was referring, of course, to flashing a thumbs-down sign and saying “shut the f–k up” to booing fans while he was slumping during the 2021-22 season.
Still, Randle also complimented the team’s loyal fan base, which has been waiting five decades since the franchise’s last championship in 1973.
“That’s the craziest thing. If you look at it from a media perspective, you’ll vibe like, damn, it’s hard being there,” Randle said. “But I go on walks all the time around the city, and it’s so much love, bro. The actual fans, the interaction face-to-face, it’s crazy how much love it is. We ain’t won sh-t, we got to the second round, and they’re, like, so appreciative. So it’s love. You look elsewhere, you wouldn’t think it, but it’s cool, man.
“They ain’t won in 50 years, but that was my excitement of going there, that challenge, trying to win there. That was the biggest reason. That’s what drives me. We got a little taste of that as a team, so it’s like, how do we get better?”
Randle added that he’s itching to get back on the court after a bitter and injury-hampered ending to his season.
He noted that he’s out of a cast and has been watching film while waiting to be cleared to get back on the court this summer for offseason workouts.
“A lot of times with injuries, bro, they suck, the rehab and that stuff is awful, the process of it, but it’s the offseason for us, so it’s really giving me an opportunity just to slow down and digest everything from the whole year,” Randle said. “So I’ve been out here [in Los Angeles] for two weeks in a hotel room. Can’t do nothing, just looking outside, gotta elevate [my leg]. And it’s just me and my thoughts. It’s just giving me time to slow down and really reflect, so it’s been cool.”
Randle said he’s approaching his downtime similarly to when the league was shut down by COVID-19 and he “couldn’t even go to the gym,” instead trying to formulate a plan for improvement once he’s able to resume basketball activity.
“Just being able to see things and seeing why things work is super helpful,” Randle said. “At this point, you’re gonna get the skills stuff, and you’re gonna continue to get better, but it’s the mind, bro.
“I watch a lot of basketball, but I’ve never been a film guy. So I’m doing things that I might not necessarily take the time to do. I can’t physically be out there, but mentally I can put myself in those places and watch and learn.”
