Randle to have season-ending shoulder surgery
New York Knicks forward Julius Randle will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery and be re-evaluated in five months, the team announced Thursday.
Doctors warned Randle that his shoulder's continued instability made it unsafe for him to resume playing, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The three-time All-Star dislocated it in January and has been sidelined since.
Randle originally opted not to have surgery, but the procedure became an inevitability after two specialists warned him of further injury and potential permanent damage to the shoulder if he returned before surgery, sources told Wojnarowski.
The timeline suggests Randle will return in September, ahead of the 2024-25 season.
In the 46 games before he got hurt, the 29-year-old averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists. He was named an All-Star for the third time in four seasons.
The Knicks were 12-2 with Randle and forward OG Anunoby both in the lineup, helping to establish the NBA's top-rated defense over that stretch. Anunoby, who was acquired via trade with the Toronto Raptors earlier this season, has missed 26 of the last 29 games due to an elbow injury.
Knicks forward Josh Hart said earlier this week that the team would be "pleasantly surprised" if both Randle and Anunoby returned this season.
New York ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 44-31 record and will face the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.