Julius Randle needs right shoulder surgery, will miss the rest of New York Knicks’ season

NEW YORK — Julius Randle needs right shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season, a crushing blow for a New York Knicks team that was surging before the All-Star forward was hurt in January.

The Knicks said Thursday that Randle would be re-evaluated in five months, meaning it’s unclear if he will even be ready for the start of next season.

But they had focused on their possibilities for this season when Randle dislocated his shoulder Jan. 27 in a victory over the Miami Heat. The Knicks ended up 14-2 that month, tied for the second-most wins in franchise history in a month.

But without Randle, and fellow starters OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson out for most of their games since then, the Knicks had fallen into fifth place in the Eastern Conference entering their game Thursday against Sacramento.

Randle was hurt after landing hard with 4:27 remaining in the victory over the Heat when Jaime Jaquez Jr. stepped in front of him trying to take a charge on Randle’s drive to the basket. He has since been rehabbing the shoulder in hopes of avoiding surgery and returning in time for the postseason.

But coach Tom Thibodeau said in recent days Randle hadn’t been cleared to practice in situations where the shoulder could be hit. The regular season ends next weekend.

“You have to have a belief that it will turn, which I do,” Thibodeau said Tuesday, before the Knicks lost in Miami. “Maybe it’s tomorrow, maybe it’s the day after, who knows when it is, but just keep putting everything you have into each day. So, work out, do your rehab, try to strengthen your shoulder as much as you can and go from there.”

But rehab won’t have Randle ready for the postseason, which begins April 20.

Randle finishes this season with an average of 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He was picked for his third All-Star team days after his injury.

Randle sprained his ankle late in the 2022-23 regular season, but returned in time for the playoffs. He re-injured the ankle in the Knicks’ clinching victory over Cleveland and missed Game 1 of their second-round loss to Miami.

He won’t come back this time, and Anunoby’s status remains unclear. The forward who debuted with the Knicks on New Year’s Day returned from elbow surgery to play three games last month, but went out again and likely will miss his ninth straight game on Thursday.