After two months of rehabilitation in an attempt to return to the New York Knicks, All-NBA forward Julius Randle will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery, the team announced Thursday.
Randle, who has been sidelined since dislocating his shoulder on Jan. 27, had been persistently rehabilitating to resume playing before the Eastern Conference playoffs.
However, doctors recently advised him that the ongoing instability in his shoulder made it unsafe for him to play again this season.
Despite his efforts to avoid surgery and return for the playoffs, the procedure became increasingly inevitable after consultations with two specialists.
They warned of the risk of further injury and potential permanent damage if he attempted to play without undergoing surgery, sources said.
Julius Randle (Via NBA)
“We wanted to take a look at, could we rehab it and strengthen it get it to the point where he could play?” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And we could never get there, so this is the decision.”
Randle’s surgery is expected to facilitate a full recovery, aiming for a return around the start of the 2024-25 season, sources indicated. Undergoing the surgery soon will provide him with the necessary recovery time to meet that timeline.
The Knicks stated that Randle would be reevaluated in September.
This development is a significant setback for a Knicks team that has shown potential for a postseason run. New York (44-31) was 12-2 with Randle and OG Anunoby in the lineup together and boasted the league’s No. 1 defense during those 14 games.
The Knicks have largely managed without Anunoby and Randle for the past two months but currently sit fifth in the East, just one game out of the third seed.
“Tough blow for us, but we’ve just got to focus on what we have in the locker room and he’ll be there to support us,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said.
Julius Randle (Via NBA)
Randle’s recovery and return next season, along with the re-signing of Anunoby, could position the Knicks as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference.
Randle, who earned his third All-Star selection this season, was averaging 24 points on 47% shooting, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
At one point this season, he had 19 consecutive games with 20 points or more—the longest streak of his career.
Randle, 29, had played in all of the Knicks’ 46 games before getting injured against the Miami Heat. He has twice been voted a second-team All-NBA performer with the Knicks (2021, ’23).
He had offseason ankle surgery in the summer of 2023 after playing through an injury to compete in the late season and playoffs for New York.
