For the first time in what feels like forever, the New York Knicks aren't the team to watch before the trade deadline. New York made its big splashes over the summer for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. The team could make a smaller move before the deadline, but that's it.
Jimmy Butler has received most of the attention with the trade deadline a month away. He publicly said he no longer wanted to be in Miami, and the Heat suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team. All eyes are on what will happen with Butler.
There has been speculation about whether teams will trade certain players, like the Timberwolves and Julius Randle. He arrived in Minnesota before training camp in the KAT trade after he and the Knicks didn't agree on an extension.
Getting Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to fit in with the Timberwolves has been a work in progress. The latter turned a corner in recent weeks and made his way into the starting lineup while the former is still struggling to fit in. He's the opposite of the player Towns was in Minnesota.
Randle's play has made many wonder if the Timberwolves will move on from him before the February deadline. He has a $30.9 million player option for next season that he should pick up over the summer, which is something many Minnesota fans don't want to see happen.
Insider says it isn't probable that Timberwolves will trade Julius Randle
ESPN's Brian Windhorst released a trade deadline piece regarding 15 NBA contenders. The insider questioned if Minnesota would trade Randle, but he said it doesn't seem probable (subscription required).
Chris Finch advocated for Randle after the Timberwolves' win over the Pelicans on Tuesday. Finch, who spent a season in New Orleans with the forward, said he has a lot of "respect" and "admiration" for Randle. He said Minnesota has asked a lot of Randle and that the forward has "been a trooper."
Here's Chris Finch discussing how much "respect, admiration" for what he and the team have asked of Julius Randle this season. pic.twitter.com/SFbMBtu81Q
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) January 8, 2025
It seems Finch and the Timberwolves aren't ready to give up on Randle, even though he's been a clunky fit. That might not be what some Minnesota fans want to hear. It's already been tough enough for the fanbase to watch Towns excel in New York.
The early returns prove the Knicks won the trade. It says a lot that people are wondering if the Timberwolves would be better off by trading Randle.