Loose Ends

Today we put a bow on this seasons Stars of the Game, plus take one final look back at the East Semis.

Good morning! We have a jam-packed edition of the newsletter today, so let’s get right to it…

News & Notes

Now that the offseason is here, a big portion of the daily newsletter will be dedicated to any (reputably sourced) rumors that make the rounds. We wasted no time getting the ball rolling yesterday…

🏀 According to Shams, teams are monitoring the potential availability of Julius Randle in the coming offseason, which is also when Randle will be eligible to extend off of his current deal for up to four years and $181 million.

While this certainly caused a bit of a stir amongst many in the fan base, it should not be seen as a surprise, for several reasons.

Primarily, the Knicks will continue to do their due diligence in trying to find ways to upgrade the team. Whether or not they would be true blue contenders with a healthy version of this roster next season, if there is a way they can make themselves better, they will explore it. That would mean sending out significant salary, and just as likely, some talent from the current group.

Combine that with a potential max contract demand from Randle, and it stands to reason that they would at least consider a world where Julius was swapped out for someone else.

Who might that player be? That’s the $64,000 question, and the answer may very well be “no one.” If it is, Randle will likely be back, although I imagine contract negotiations could get a little dicey because of how much a four-year, $181 million extension would make Julius a less-than-ideal trade candidate for a future move.

All things to worry about another day. For right now, let’s take one more look back at the series that just ended…

💫 Stars of the Game 💫

One final time, here are our best performers from Game 7 against Indiana…

⭐️ Josh Hart - There’s a love letter to Josh Hart coming later this week, so I’ll save my extended thoughts for then. For right now, I’ll just say this:

In November of 2021, LeBron James - one of the two greatest players ever, and someone who spends quite literally millions of dollars to refine and preserve his body to ensure it is in the best possible condition at all times - suffered an abdominal strain. He missed the next eight games, returning to play 17 days later.

Josh Hart suited up and played 37 minutes on Sunday, about 42 hours after suffering the abdominal strain that knocked him out of Game 6.