Julius Randle's past helped drive blockbuster Knicks-Timberwolves trade forward

The New York Knicks and Timberwolves will start the 2024-25 season on Tuesday. New York is in Boston to take on the reigning champions, and Minnesota is in Los Angeles to play the Lakers. It will be the first games for the Knicks and Timberwolves since the blockbuster Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

Towns, Julius Randle, and Donte DiVincenzo played in the preseason for their new teams, but it will still be a little odd to see them make their official debuts.

Fans knew Randle could be traded after he and New York didn't agree to an extension when he became eligible at the beginning of August. Nobody thought Randle would be traded before the season started, and didn't think DiVincenzo would be included in the package. The Knicks didn't want to trade the three-point shooter, but the Timberwolves wanted him.

It turns out that New York tried to acquire KAT all summer, starting on draft night. Minnesota valued DiVincenzo, but the team also valued Randle. Chris Finch was an assistant coach in New Orleans during Randle's lone season with the Pelicans. The two shared a close connection, so much so that Randle advocated for the Knicks to hire Finch in 2020 (subscription required).

“I wanted Finchy to come on staff there. I’m telling them, man, Finchy’s a great coach,” Randle said with a wide smile. “But they had their plans of what they wanted to do. But I was like man, Finchy would be an amazing coach for us. It just didn’t happen.”

Finch advocated for Randle in Knicks-Timberwolves blockbuster deal

The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski wrote a piece detailing Randle and Finch's connection. Krawczynski wrote about the trade and said that Finch's connection with Randle "played a major role in their decision to make such a significant move after planning to run it back."

Randle averaged 21.4 points (a career-high for him then), 8.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game for New Orleans in 2018-19. He shot 52.4% from the field and 34.4% from three. Under Finch's guidance, Randle said he "felt super prepared" for the games. His season with the Pelicans led to him signing with the Knicks in 2019 and eventually signing a four-year extension.

The forward spent the past five seasons in New York. He earned two All-NBA nods and made three All-Star teams. Randle's entering a pivotal season in his career, not because he's with a new team. He has a $30.9 million player option, which he could decline next summer to enter unrestricted free agency. However, he'll likely pick it up because he won't make that kind of money on the open market under the collective bargaining agreement.

There isn't a Knicks fan out there who should be rooting against Randle (minus the two games New York will play against Minnesota in the regular season). The trade could benefit both sides. The early preseason returns looked good, but the real test will begin tonight.