Exactly a year prior to his long-awaited MSG return, the highest mark of Julius Randle’s tenure was taking shape.

Julius Randle speaks about the Knicks trade to the Timberwolves and reflects on his time in New York and his new journey in Minnesota.

The New York Knicks took a risk by trading Julius Randle after all he'd contributed. Unfortunately, it's looking like it was the right decision.

Friday night marked Randle’s first game back at Madison Square Garden since the Knicks traded him and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the three-team blockbuster that brought center Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

For the first time in nearly a half-century, the Knicks have two All-Star starters. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Jalen Brunson flew past a New York Knicks legend in Monday's win over the Atlanta Hawks. Another sterling scoring output for Brunson, earner of 34 points, allow

Randle played a secondary role in the Timberwolves’ 116-99 win, taking a backseat in the spotlight as Anthony Edwards dazzled with 36 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

The Knicks will have two representatives in the starting lineup during the NBA All-Star Game on Feb 16. in San Francisco, Calif.

Brunson and Towns represent the first pair of Knicks teammates to start in the All-Star Game since 1975, when Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Walt “Clyde” Frazier donned the orange and blue.

Randle believed in the Knicks and their potential when almost no one else in the NBA did. When Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and almost every other free agent took a hard pass on the Knicks, Randle risked coming to a franchise that had just finished a 17-65 season and had gone six straight years without making the playoffs.

Randle played his heart out for the Knicks, but this new version of their offense is much more potent without his low post scoring clogging up the paint. Jalen Brunson has room to breathe, and he can conserve his energy more with Towns, O.G. Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges all added to the team.

Julius Randle marked his return to Madison Square Garden with a quiet game. But his impact was felt in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 116-99 rout of his former team, the New York Knicks, on Friday night (Saturday Manila time).