Julius Randle and the New York Knicks are heading for a split.
Although he is currently denying it and the organization is remaining mum, their relationship has crossed the point of no return.
The writing is on the wall.
Come season’s end, Randle is done in New York.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Randle will use the James Harden model for orchestrating his exit.
“Some people around the league feel he’s acting in a ‘James Harden type of way’ that suggests he wants a new place of work next season,” Berman reported.
“Randle has lost his strongest ally in assistant coach Kenny Payne, his former mentor at Kentucky who left this month to be the head coach at Louisville. Some NBA sources believe the Knicks will shop Randle for a package revolving around a center if they lose Mitchell Robinson.”
How bad have things gotten? Pretty bad.
“Sources contend a lack of leadership from Randle has hurt the club this season,” Berman continued. “One source said Randle sometimes dresses by himself in another area of the locker room.”
On Wednesday night Randle attempted to quell the chatter about his pending departure.
“That’s not true, bro. That’s just not true, simple as that, it’s not true at all,” Randle said Wednesday night. “If it didn’t come from me, it ain’t true.”
Randle can obviously say whatever he wants, but where there’s smoke – there’s fire. And there has been a lot of smoke coming from his direction this year.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/dCiiLBtEH8
— Game 7 (@game7__) March 30, 2022
Be it with his incessant arguing with refs or the rumors of locker room discontent – Randle has solely been in the headlines for negative stuff this year. There’s a reason the Knicks almost dealt him before the NBA Trade Deadline.
Clearly this is unsustainable.
It remains to be seen where he will ultimately end up playing come next year, but it is increasingly looking like it won’t be New York.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
