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At Celtics Workout, Julius Randle Denies Report He Needs Foot Surgery

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James Crisp/AP

WALTHAM – Julius Randle took part in a solo draft workout today for the Boston Celtics, but most of the focus afterward was on the health status of the Kentucky prospect.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that there is a possibility Randle would undergo surgery on his right foot after the NBA Draft on June 26.

Randle took to Twitter to defend himself against the report, and offered an outright denial today in Waltham that he may need to undergo a procedure.

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“It’s never been considered,” Randle said on the possibility of surgery. “I’ve met with my own doctor and talked to specialists, some of the best doctors in the world and they’ve said they wouldn’t do anything with it. I probably wouldn’t be working out if I needed surgery.”

The 19-year-old later explained that the concerns about his foot dated back to an injury he suffered in high school. At the time, Randle had a pin inserted into right foot after he suffered a fracture.

Multiple reports indicate that there is some concern that the bone did not heal properly, which would cause the need for surgery.

Randle said today if a team does end up wanting Randle to undergo a procedure, it wouldn’t be a problem, but that hasn’t happened yet.

“It won’t be an issue,” Randle said. “Whether a team wants me to have surgery or not, it’s a minor injury in the first place that I suffered in high school. The longest you are out is 12 weeks or something like that [with the surgery]. I’d probably miss summer league or something like that, but nobody said they want me to have surgery.”

Randle also attempted to clear the air with Wojnarowski after his tweets yesterday.

“I’m not calling [Wojnarowski] a liar,” Randle explained. “He’s great at what he does. I felt like there was a little unnecessary confusion. I felt like there was a need for me to speak on my behalf, no disrespect toward him.”

Wojnarowski stands by his report.

As far as Randle’s on-court performance, head coach Brad Stevens gave the potential lottery pick a strong review after his workout and dismissed any concerns about his health.

"He looked good," Stevens said. "Obviously a big, strong guy. He is very quick, he's light on his feet. I think by the time it's all said and done, he's going to have NBA 3-point range. I think he's going to be a really good player."

Randle should fall somewhere in the 5-10 range in the NBA Draft on June 26. Whether the concerns about his foot affect his draft stock remains to be seen.