It's been well over a year since the New York Knicks shocked the rest of the NBA by trading Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves in a package for Karl-Anthony Towns. Minnesota reached the conference finals for a second consecutive year, thanks in large part to Randle's heroics, but with the 2026 trade deadline approaching, his name has popped up as a player the team could give up.
On a Bleacher Report livestream, NBA insider Jake Fischer said that Randle is an "interesting" name to him. He explained, saying, "We keep hearing about Minnesota wanting to poke around and go big-game hunting and look at all these guards. They're only going to be able to do that if they part ways with one of Julius Randle and Naz Reid."
As Fischer pointed out, if the Timberwolves go after Trae Young, Ja Morant, or any other player with a big contract, Randle could be involved in the deal to make salaries match.
He signed a three-year, $100 million contract with Minnesota during the offseason. Randle is making $30.8 million this season, and that number will increase to $33.3 million next year. He has a $35.8 million player option in 2027-28, the final season of the deal.
NBA insider explains why Timberwolves could trade Julius Randle
Minnesota is sixth in the West with a 17-9 record, a half game back from No. 5 Houston, and three games ahead of No. 7 Phoenix. You may be wondering why the Timberwolves have been linked to players like Young or Morant, and that's because Tim Connelly has a reputation for making big trades. Remember, they were in the running for Kevin Durant.
The Timberwolves' top need is a point guard. Neither Young nor Morant has been made available by their respective teams, but that could change between now and the Feb. 5 deadline. Both have missed significant time this season due to injuries, with Young still sidelined, and Morant making his return to the lineup on Dec. 12.
It's not like Minnesota is far off from winning a title, and while adding a point guard would help, it would require the team to give up another top player, like Randle. The only true untouchable on the roster is Anthony Edwards, but the Timberwolves reportedly view Jaden McDaniels, who is making $24.4 million this season, in a similar light. That leaves Randle, Reid, or Rudy Gobert.
By no means should their front office want to trade Randle, who has done well in Minnesota, but if the right guard comes along, it could happen. The Timberwolves are the kind of team that would make a trade like that. While they're at it, they might as well send DiVo back to New York, but don't get your hopes up on that one.