Knicks News and Rumor Roundup

Is Julius Randle on track to return next month?

We are just a week away from Media Day and less than a month from Opening night, so let's check in on the latest rumors and rumblings as we inch toward the start of training camp…

🏀 There was some encouraging news on the Julius Randle rehab front over the past week. 

First, in a column discussing key players returning from injury this season, ESPN's Chris Herring reported: "Randle said his recovery is going well, and he's expected to be ready to play by or near the start of the season."

Then, we got an update from Julius' wife. In the first episode of the YouTube Series "Julius Randle: Family, Recovery, and Life Beyond Basketball,"' we see the big guy working out. Kendra Randle says her husband is on track to return for the start of the season. "His recovery has been amazing," Kendra confirms. "He is ahead of schedule. He is doing awesome, and he is ready to come back."

As noted above, Media Day is just seven days away, so we'll get an official update on the record from Randle and coach Tom Thibodeau. Ideally, Randle will be medically cleared to practice fully with the team at the start of training camp in South Carolina next week. If that's the case, he'll be ready to rock when the Knicks head to Boston on October 22nd to spoil the Celtics Ring Night at TD Garden. 

🏀 Another significant benefit of having Randle on the floor during training camp and the preseason will be building chemistry with the team's new starter. 

In an interview with RG.com published Monday, Mikal Bridges talked about fitting alongside the team's two leading scorers, Randle and Jalen Brunson. 

"I think they complement each other before I even got here, so well. Jalen and Julius, them two, just playing off them," Bridges said. "I know how to play with Jalen when he has the ball; it's just from throughout the years and the chemistry we had. And I think trying to build that with Julius in the preseason and training camp. They were good last year. I think I'll just come in, and I could fit in. Julius was out. He was hurt for a while. But having him back, I think it's going to be easier for him and JB [witih] me out there spacing the floor and being able to do a lot of things — cutting, dribble-handoffs, coming off ball screens, anything to help those guys out and everybody else. I think it starts with them two. Building talent around them is gonna make their jobs easier and make us tough to guard."

🏀 The other player Knicks fans are anxiously awaiting an update on is starting center Mitchell Robinson.

Unlike Randle, we have yet to receive word on where Mitch Rob at physically. In years past, he's frequently posted footage of workouts, but we haven't seen him in a gym all summer. As Herring notes in the aforementioned post, "Robinson's health will be even more important. That gives the Knicks added incentive to take their time with Robinson's rehab, even if it means he isn't ready for training camp or the start of the season."