Julius Randle has been with the New York Knicks since the start of the 2019-20 season and he's made two All-Star appearances in the last four seasons. Alongside Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, Randle has his team in a prime position to compete at the highest level possible in the Eastern Conference.
One of the better power forwards in the league, Randle signed a four-year, $117 million contract extension in 2021 to remain in New York. With two years left on his current deal after the 2023-24 season, the 28-year-old will be eligible for a new extension sooner than later. However, he will not have the same representation negotiating this potential contract with the Knicks.
Creative Artists Agency (CAA), who represents some of the most prolific professional athletes in America, has worked with Randle for quite some time. On Monday, WME Sports announced on social media that they have signed the Knicks forward, ending his partnership with CAA.
While this change in representation could mean nothing, as there are always NBA talents switching agents in order to secure the best contract possible, it is at least a notable change.
Randle had been with CAA for quite some time and the Knicks organization has a lot of ties to that agency. Team president Leon Rose and executive William Wesley both worked for the agency before joining New York, plus Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein are all CAA clients. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is also one of their clients.
Much like how people like to connect the Los Angeles Lakers to Klutch Sports Group given LeBron James' ties to Rich Paul, the Knicks have been viewed in a similar way given all of those who are signed with CAA. There has even been speculation through the years that New York will land a big name free agent or All-Star such as Karl-Anthony Towns through a trade given his ties to the agency.
Knicks fans really should not read much into this move for Randle, especially since it is common for stars to find new representation with a new contract on the horizon. Then again, everything gets blown out of proportion in New York. As a result, there will be plenty of chatter regarding if this is the start of an eventual departure from the Knicks for Randle.