Every time an NBA team is unceremoniously eliminated from the playoffs, one of their stars inevitably rises to the top of the charts of trade machines' most-dealt players.
Julius Randle's performance as the Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs has made him the "main character" of sites like Fanspo, where he's the second most-traded player after Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But the most reasonable solution to the Timberwolves' Randle problem might just involve Randle himself. Instead of repeating the mistake they made by trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, Minnesota needs to learn from Towns' ascension under Mike Brown and keep Randle around.
A new Randle, not a new star, is most likely to help T-Wolves' title hunt
Randle turning his game around entirely at 31 years old isn't exactly the likeliest of outcomes.
But how probable is it that an opposing team, after seeing his performance against the Spurs (or listening to his teammates sound like they're in the doldrums), trades the Timberwolves a legitimate star in return?
After splitting Towns' contract up into several players in Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to help bolster the team's depth, the Wolves wound up close to where they started. They're still looking to trade a multi-time All-Star big man in hopes of improving their roster.
Doesn't something seem off with that?
That's part of why the answer to their woes lies not in getting someone else – or several other players – for Randle, but rather getting more out of Randle himself.
While the bruising forward might not have the height or smooth feel for the game that Towns has exhibited from the top of the key as a playmaker for his Knicks teammates, the blueprint is right there for Chris Finch and company to roughly follow.
Towns found success in this role once Brown started setting him up "in his spots," which mostly includes the top of the key. Knick fans know well that, for Randle, those spots would more likely be the elbows or baselines.
But he can keep the ball moving, buy into boxing out and screening for screeners, and contribute to winning basketball. He has the size, talent, and skill to make it happen. He just needs to be willing to do it – and play for a team that's willing to set him up for that kind of success.
The Timberwolves are more than capable of making that happen. And while Randle may not look exactly like Towns did against the Hawks or 76ers, it's a more realistic path forward for the Timberwolves than finding a team that will trade a star – or enough depth to supplant one – for the veteran forward.
Add us as a preferred source on Google