Julius Randle willing to accept any role heading into season

The power forward continues to navigate the Knicks’ shifting landscape.

Before Jalen Brunson completely changed the trajectory of the Knicks’ future, it was Julius Randle who was the face of the franchise and looked at as the franchise’s savior. In a time where seemingly nobody wanted to become or stay a Knick, Randle chose to sign with New York as a free agent. And in just his second season donning the blue and orange, Randle made his first All-Star appearance and led the team to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

Since then though, Randle’s reputation has gone through its share of ups and downs. There was the abysmal 21-22 season that saw Randle give Knicks fans a thumbs down amidst a disappointing season. That was followed up with an amazing regular season in 22-23, which unfortunately ended on a sour note after he came back from an ankle injury and performed poorly in the postseason. And last season was similar.

While he got off to a very slow start—one that ended up being historically one of the worst and least efficient starts to a season ever- he was incredible once he got back on track. Randle was selected to his third All-Star game and was a crucial part of a Knicks team that ended the season with 50 wins and sole possession of the second seed. But much like the season before, Randle’s season was derailed by injuries and he wasn’t even able to suit up for the postseason this time around.

While all of this was going on Brunson, and his Villanova teammates, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo, were quickly taking the team, and the city by storm and getting all of the attention. The local and national media were talking less and less about Randle and were slowly increasing their coverage of the Nova Knicks. And that trend only worsened during a magical post season run that happened while Randle was sidelined.

Fast forward a few months and things have remained more or less the same, if not worse. The Knicks acquired yet another former Villanova player, Mikal Bridges, and the trade rumors surrounding Randle have only gotten louder.

Yet among all of the outside noise—including ridiculous trade rumors, unfair questions, false allegations, pure speculation, and more—Randle has reportedly remained in good spirits. As SNY reported earlier in the offseason, Randle is excited. He seems to be happy with where the team is and truly believes in the group of guys on the roster. And if it wasn’t clear when he decided to sign with the Knicks in 2019, he wants to win and do so in New York. Most importantly, Randle is willing to accept any role if it leads to wins. Be it being a bit more of a facilitator, or buying in on the defensive end the All-NBA forward seems open to doing whatever it takes. And yes, that includes playing center, something Tom Thibodeau himself said was possible.

Obviously though, saying something and doing it are two different things. There’s always a chance that Randle feels this way now but doesn’t thrive in his new role and becomes disgruntled. But the fact that, at least as of now, he’s saying the right things, believes in the team, and seems to be in a good place mentally does bode well going forward for a Knicks team that will need the best version of Randle if they want to be a true contender. And it’s also a reminder that even with his ups and downs, the at-times enigmatic, and often polarizing Randle, has been professional, selfless, and underappreciated, especially as of late. Hopefully, the big man can come back as determined and ready as ever and help lead the Knicks to the promised land.