CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Test results have brought optimism that Julius Randle won’t require season-ending surgery on his dislocated right shoulder, a positive development that has boosted belief that his recovery will start “at least a few weeks,” rather than months, a source told The Post.
Multiple sources relayed the rosier outlook, saying it’s “probably safe” to say Randle won’t need surgery.
But the source also cautioned that it’s “not conclusive” yet. In other words, they’re still waiting for more opinions and testing to rule out surgery.
“He’s being smart right now, as are we,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “So we’re gathering the information then we’ll make a good decision once we have the information. So I think that’s a big part of decision making. And so to speculate before you have all the information would be just speculation.”
Randle, whose right arm was dislodged from its shoulder socket, underwent an X-Ray and MRI exam on Saturday before further tests Sunday.
News of his anticipated return had reached Knicks players ahead of their game Monday against the Hornets, with Randle back home and slated to miss his first game of the season.
“That has us in good spirits that he’s not going to be out too long,” Josh Hart said. “We have to stay afloat during that time. I think we have the pieces to do that.”
The Knicks hadn’t issued a statement or medical update on Randle but, according to a shoulder doctor who didn’t evaluate the power forward, avoiding surgery means he could return as quickly as two weeks (although sources don’t expect that to be the case with Randle).
It depends on how fast Randle recovers his strength and range of motion with no pain, Dr. Dennis DeBernardis, a surgeon at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, said.
“That could be up to two to three weeks,” DeBernardis told The Post’s Mark W. Sanchez. “That could be up to six to eight weeks.”
Without Randle and OG Anunoby (right elbow inflammation) on Monday, Thibodeau elevated Hart and Precious Achiuwa into the starting lineup.
It’s expected that Hart gets the first crack at Randle’s starting spot moving forward.
Still, Hart, who is four inches shorter than Randle and considerably lighter, understands that he won’t replace an All-Star by himself.
“Unless between now and game time I can put on 45 pounds of mostly muscle,” he said, “I think it’ll just be a common collective effort.”
The Knicks play nine games before the All-Star break, then return on Feb. 22 at Philadelphia.
Counting Monday against the Hornets, they have 36 games remaining and about 11 weeks left in the season.
“When you hear weeks, not months, obviously it’s a good sign,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “Being here in my first year [with the Knicks], what I know about Julius is he’s going to do everything possible to cut whatever the timeline is, he’s going to try to cut that down, try to get back.”
DiVincenzo said he spoke with Randle on Sunday and noticed that he was “feeling better” after a painful experience the night prior.
“He was feeling better, he was in good spirits,” DiVincenzo said. “He’s going as hard as he possibly can to get back there. He loves ball. So I was just happy he was feeling better from the night before. He looked in pain.”
Randle fell on his arm in the fourth quarter of Saturday afternoon’s victory over the Heat, tumbling over Miami forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who stepped into the lane to draw a charge.
Randle’s shoulder was clearly dislocated and he left for the locker room, abandoning his awarded free throws on the foul.
Randle didn’t travel with the Knicks to Charlotte and logged his first DNP of the season, with the team going 9-8 without their two-time All-Star over the last four seasons (including the playoffs) heading into Monday.
But the good news is it looks like they won’t have to compensate for Randle’s absence for as long as the Knicks and their fans feared.
“I’m always optimistic, as you guys know, and you have to do both. You hope for the best, but you plan for the worst,” Thibodeau said. “So we’re encouraged that he takes great care of himself. So that’s a huge plus, being in great shape. And so hopefully it’s positive in the end. And I don’t want to speculate, but I’m hopeful.”
