Knicks' Julius Randle to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on Shoulder Injury

The New York Knicks will be without one of their star players for the postseason.

New York confirmed Randle will undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery and be reevaluated in five months. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news.

Randle hasn't played since he dislocated the shoulder on Jan. 27, and Wojnarowski noted "doctors warned him that his shoulder's continued instability made it unsafe for him to play again this season" despite his rehab attempts.

Chris Haynes explained on NBA on TNT that Randle re-injured the shoulder during his attempted comeback and surgery was the player's "only option."

While Randle had rehabbed with the hope to avoid the surgery and return for the playoffs, Wojnarowski reported undergoing the procedure at this point means he could be fully recovered for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

Injury concerns have limited what seemed to be a high ceiling for the Knicks.

While they are 12-2 with Randle and OG Anunoby in the lineup together, the former will not return and the latter hasn't played since March 16 because of an elbow injury. That has left Jalen Brunson to lead the way without two of the other go-to options.

Randle was playing at a high level prior to his setback.

He made his third All-Star Game in four years and averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three-point range. He was a double-double threat every time he stepped on the court and could take over games as a scorer.

New York is in the middle of a slump without Randle's offensive presence and Anunoby's defensive prowess.

It has lost three straight games and has largely relied on players such as Donte DiVincenzo and Miles McBride to increase their scoring alongside Brunson.

The Knicks have dropped to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings and are just two games clear of the play-in tournament for the Nos. 7-10 seed with seven games remaining. Avoiding that fate or an early postseason exit will be all the more difficult without Randle as a No. 2 option.