Let the Julius Randle speculation begin, as the Knicks All-Star has left CAA to sign with WME Sports as his new agency.
The speculation arises from CAA’s tight Knicks ties, as Leon Rose and William “World Wide Wes” Wesley both came from CAA before joining the Knicks front office, and the agency still represents the likes of Tom Thibodeau, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart.
So, when the news broke on social media, fans immediately wondered if Randle’s relationship with the Knicks has become damaged, as his season didn’t end on the highest note with an ankle injury preceding further playoff struggles, where fans stomped on his poster after New York was bounced by the Heat in the conference semifinals.
WME also represents RJ Barrett, and Randle is reuniting with former CAA marketing agent Andrew Thomas, who left for WME last year. So, the change in agencies could be nothing more than getting back together with a familiar face, but that didn’t stop fans from wondering if Randle’s future in New York has become cloudy.
Randle signed a four-year, $117 million contract extension after the 2020-21 season, and can opt out in 2025 by declining a player option. His tenure with the Knicks has been rocky, winning the Most Improved Player and leading the Knicks out of a playoff drought in 2021, then feuded with fans in a season of heavy regression during the 2021-22 campaign, but became an All-Star again last season.