Julius Randle’s Cryptic Message After Knicks Jersey Fiasco

The New York Knicks have changed their roster a lot since Julius Randle arrived in 2019 and the franchise began its turnaround. They now have one of the deepest rosters in the league, while Jalen Brunson has become the team’s unquestioned No. 1 option over the past two seasons. But it seems Randle is being pushed aside in favor of the Knicks’ newer, shinier toys.

A photo showing that there were no Randle jerseys available at the Knicks team store at Madison Square Garden has been making the rounds on social media. Suffice to say, Randle doesn’t seem too pleased with this development. He commented on this turn of events in two separate Instagram stories, although he wasn’t really clear what his feelings were about the situation.

“Is this how y’all feel? @nyknicks 🤣,” Randle wrote. “The truth will come out 😎.”

It’s possible, of course, that Julius Randle is simply joking around. The photo circulating online doesn’t really provide conclusive evidence that there are actually no Randle jerseys in the Knicks store right now.

Maybe they’re just restocking the shelves, or maybe Randle’s jersey is on display on another shelf. But the Knicks forward said “the truth will come out soon,” so maybe the 29-year-old forward will head to Madison Square Garden to see for himself that there are indeed plenty of his jerseys available for sale.

But ultimately, it only adds fuel to the fire, as Randle’s importance to the Knicks franchise is diminishing. Brunson is the unquestioned leader through and through, as evidenced by the way he took over the team after Randle’s season-ending injury last season.

Additionally, Brunson’s influence led the Knicks to bring in three of his former Villanova teammates: Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges. New York also has OG Anunoby to absorb more touches, further marginalizing Randle, if only slightly.

Only time will tell, however, how things will evolve in the Knicks locker room and how their hierarchy will shape up.

Julius Randle may not stay with Knicks for long

Julius Randle is set to return to free agency. He has a $30.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season, but it’s likely he’ll decline it in favor of signing a massive new contract. But will the Knicks be the team willing to keep him for the long haul?

The bill is coming for the Knicks; with Randle likely to be a free agent in 2025, they’ll have to think long and hard about filling out their cap space, as Mikal Bridges will also be up for a new deal by 2026. The good news is that Jalen Brunson’s massive pay cut gives the Knicks a ton of financial flexibility, and it sets a precedent for players to perhaps take below-market deals as well.

But despite Randle’s marginality, he’s sure to play a significant role for the Knicks next season. Their frontcourt depth is a bit shaky after the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, and Randle is expected to play plenty of minutes at the five-point line as a versatile, ball-handling, scoring option who could pose mismatch issues for opposing centers.