Julius Randle's season is over.
The New York Knicks forward will undergo right shoulder surgery after two months of rehab to attempt a return, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported and the team later confirmed.
Randle has been out since dislocating his shoulder on Jan. 27. Wojnarowski reported that the 29-year-old All-Star had "relentlessly rehabilitating to resume playing" before the playoffs, but doctors warned that continued instability in the shoulder made it unsafe for him to return this season.
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After getting the surgery, Randle is expected to fully recover and return around the start of the 2024-25 season. The team said he would be re-evaluated in five months, which brings us to early September.
The Knicks sit at 44-31, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference despite long-term injuries to Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. Randle played 46 games this season while averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
This is the second straight offseason where Randle will be forced to recovery from surgery. He had an ankle operation last summer after playing through the injury during the Knicks' playoff run, which ended in the second round at the hands of the Miami Heat.
The Knicks still have seven regular-season games remaining and could still finish anywhere from second to eighth in the East, with six games separating the No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks (47-29) from the No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers (41-35).
