Before Jalen Brunson’s meteoric rise as the face of the New York Knicks, Julius Randle had led the franchise back from the NBA abyss to the forefront.
So when New York traded Randle, along with last season’s breakout star Donte DiVincenzo, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a stunning trade on Sept. 27 for four-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, Brunson was overcome with mixed emotions.
“It’s definitely been tough,” Brunson told reporters, per SNY, at the Knicks’ Media Day on Sept. 30. “I’m grateful that Julius welcomed me with open arms. That news, it was crazy.”
“I’m really grateful for them and their friendships and everything and what they’ve brought to this team. I’m really grateful to have had a relationship with Julius. The memories we’ve made together [have been] really fun.”
Brunson dodged questions about Towns’ move to the Knicks because the trade hasn’t been made official yet due to some quirks in the new collective bargaining agreement to make the deal legal (the Knicks must sign and trade players for the trade).
But Brunson paid tribute to the Knicks’ outgoing players, especially Randle, who paved the way for him to be signed as a free agent in 2022.