Andre Iguodala offers a warning to Julius Randle amid his uncertain future with the Knicks
julius-randle
The New York Knicks surprised many people when they traded for Mikal Bridges, reuniting him with his former Villanova University teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the deal's aftermath, given that he seems to be the perfect fit for the Knicks.
However, the team still has some decisions to make because the acquisition of Bridges and re-signing OG Anunoby on a megadeal could leave star Julius Randle as the odd man out. The bruising power forward has various options, including fighting for a spot in the starting lineup, forcing a trade, and accepting a sixth-man role. While most of his alternatives don't look that bad, Andre Iguodala warned Randle.
"Once you're put in a box at a certain point in your career, you can't get outside the box," Iguodala said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast. "If you got a guy like Julius Randle who's still in his prime and can put up 22-10, he can still get his numbers, he's a bull in a china shop, he is who he is, great player, once he starts to take a lesser role, now he in that box. His earning potential is half. ... I got punished for doing what's best for the team financially."
The 2015 Finals MVP's sacrifice with the Dubs
Iguodala was referring to his time with the Golden State Warriors. He started in his first season with the team, but after Steve Kerr took over as coach, Iggy was "demoted" to sixth man in favor of the younger Harrison Barnes.
Of course, the one-time All-Star was still a part of the Warriors' closing five, the "Death Lineup." But losing his status as a starter also meant relinquishing some of his leverage in contract negotiations. Instead of having the potential to be one of the highest-paid guys in the NBA, Iguodala never had a salary of at least $20 million in any season.
As a consolation, he was rewarded with the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the league and finished his career with four rings. However, the former No. 9 pick still appears to be a bit bitter about how he had to sacrifice financially for the betterment of Golden State.
Randle's tough decision?
Only time will tell if Randle suffers the same fate. Perhaps it would have been easier for him if he were past his prime. But that isn't the case, as the last four years have seen "Orange Julius" average 23.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while earning various accolades, including three All-Star berths, two All-NBA selections, and one Most Improved Player award.
Maybe Iguodala and other people are just reading things differently in New York. Starting both Bridges and Anunoby doesn't necessarily mean putting Randle on the bench, as the team can roll out a starting lineup of those three players plus Jalen Brunson and a center.
As such, the Knicks' status quo would remain, although they might experience financial challenges because of the copious salary they have to pay their core players.