Julius Randle re-upped his stay in New York by signing a four-year, $117 million contract extension with the Knicks, elevating his deal’s total value to five years and $140 million, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Randle could have waited until 2022 free agency, when he would have been eligible for a five-year max contract projected to be worth $207 million.

However, he preferred to sign an extension before entering free agency to help the Knicks with their salary cap. Randle deservedly won Most Improved Player this year, continuing his year by year improvement as an all-around player.

After the Atlanta Hawks exposed Randle in the postseason, the Knicks decided to surround Randle with an abundance of shot creators.

They signed Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, while they kept Derrick Rose in a multi-year deal. The Knicks returned to the postseason this year, and they want to keep the good feeling rolling.