Julius Randle might not be guaranteed goner from Knicks that viral social media post suggests

A viral social media post seemed to confirm what a lot of the basketball world has been speculating this offseason: Julius Randle will be the odd man out for the New York Knicks following their acquisition of Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges.

The X/Twitter account @BigKnickEnergy posted that Randle jerseys were not for sale at Madison Square Garden and it prompted a response from Randle himself.

But pot-stirring and misinformation were at play here. Knicks Twitter quickly began investigating like it was an episode of Law & Order and sure enough, Randle jerseys are for sale at Madison Square Garden. The former All-NBA forward has not been cast aside, yet.

Randle and the Knicks relationship is at a fork in the road moment for the 2024-25 season. The New York Knicks' path to basketball relevancy in this era started with Randle.

The old-school bruising forward signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2019 and two years later he made All-NBA second team and helped the Knicks reach the playoffs. They were eliminated in five games by Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Randle's performance dropped significantly in the playoffs and in the summer of 2022, they added former Villanova guard Jalen Brunson. Almost overnight, the Knicks became Brunson's team.

In both seasons with Brunson, the Knicks have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs but they did it this past season with Randle sidelined with injury. Flanked by Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby, the Knicks had the physicality and defensive versatility necessary to cover Brunson's shortcomings as a leader and allowed him to carry the offense. Isaiah Hartenstein dominated the paint and backboards and the Knicks were one win away from their first conference finals appearance this century.

In the face of the Knicks' continued success with Randle on the sidelines, many recalled his previous postseason struggles and began to speculate on whether or not he's what the Knicks need from a second star. The Knicks front office appeared to have similar thoughts as they chose to trade for Mikal Bridges, another forward, and invested a lot of draft capital in his acquisition. Hartenstein walked in free agency, signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Knicks are doubling down on their versatile team-building approach making Randle's fit and future on the roster unclear.

Randle will be discussed as a potential trade piece until the trade deadline, regardless of how he plays or whatever the Knicks front office says. The reality is that their best lineup is likely Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Hart, and Mitchell Robinson with DiVincenzo off the bench as an offense/defense option to replace Hart. Randle will be making $27 million and while that's decent value for a player who has made an All-NBA team, it's a lot of money for a guy who doesn't look like he's a part of your best lineup.

The Knicks will probably experiment with Randle at center early in the season as well. There are healthy doubts about Randle's ability to be a defensive center but Anunoby has proven capable of guarding opposing centers and offering rim protection. If that lineup can cut it defensively, then Randle's low-post game could be beneficial with the quality spacing the Knicks now have making him a potential worthwhile fit for this group.

But head coach Tom Thibodeau has almost always desired defensive anchor-worthy centers on his teams, from Joakim Noah to Isaiah Hartenstein they have been keys to his success. For reasons like that, and Randle not being a part of the NOVA Knicks crowd, every good and bad game will fan the rumor mill flames this season and what we're currently seeing is only the beginning.