Julius Randle earns eye-watering $1,380,000 for making NBA All-Star reserves
New York Knicks star forward Julius Randle was selected as a 2024 Eastern Conference All-Star reserve on Thursday, marking his third career All-Star selection. In doing so, he earned a head-turning bonus.
Per Spotrac, Randle will receive a whopping $1.38 million as part of a 5% contract bonus for making this year’s All-Star team.
This is in line with the bonuses of some of the league’s top stars who received All-Star selection bonuses. Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant, for example, reportedly earned a $1.2 million bonus for earning his 14th All-Star selection last week.
Randle has been out with a dislocated right shoulder since Jan. 27. The injury is expected to cost him a minimum of two to three weeks, putting his status for the Feb. 18 All-Star Game in jeopardy.
So, the Knicks star will likely be replaced on the East All-Star roster. However, he will collect his bonus regardless of whether he plays in the All-Star Game. So, that should make his time on the sidelines a little more tolerable.
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Julius Randle can earn another $1.38 million bonus later this season
Julius Randle’s $1.38 million All-Star selection bonus isn’t the only bonus that he can receive this year. Per Spotrac, the 29-year-old can earn an additional $1.38 million if he plays 65 games and New York reaches the playoffs.
The Knicks (32-17, third in the East) are well on their way to doing so. However, Randle’s injury could cause him to fall short of the 65-game threshold.
The star forward has played 46 games thus far, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.7 3-pointers per game on 47.2% shooting.
He needs to play in 19 of the Knicks’ 33 remaining games to qualify. It remains to be seen if he will be able to do so.
Either way, the three-time All-Star is still making a $25.7 million base salary this season. That is part of the four-year, $117.1 million contract extension that he signed in 2021. So, he isn’t strapped for cash, as he noted last month when informed about his potential All-Star bonus.
“I didn’t even know. I swear on my sons,” Randle said. “I knew I got a bonus, something north of a million. But you think I’m focusing on that? I’m making pretty good money.”
Instead, Randle is focused on continuing to grow as a player.
“I just think I’m at a point in my career where obviously I want to play the best basketball in my career,” Randle said. “I want to continue to get better. … This is my 10th year in the league, and you go through phases in your career where you’re trying to establish yourself or you’re trying to prove something. And, for me, I’m only proving something to myself every night.”
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