What seemed like an ordinary Friday night turned into quite the opposite in October 2024 when the New York Knicks sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. It was a risk that the front office felt it needed to take to elevate the team to another level, a move that is still paying off well over a year later. For Minnesota, though, not so much.
Following the Timberwolves' second-round exit to the Spurs, they held exit interviews on Saturday, and there was a theme, one that Minnesota should want to get rid of. Adam Mares brought it up on Sunday's episode of the ALL NBA Podcast, saying Randle tanked his value to the point where Minnesota could try to move him this offseason.
"I think Julius Randle's stock is down, especially if you look at some of the things that the Timberwolves players alluded to in their exit interviews. I think you can make the argument that his stock is down right now, and he is the player I think Minnesota most probably wants to move on from."
If you're wondering what Mares was referring to when he mentioned what Minnesota players said in their exit interviews (which Randle declined to attend), Naz Reid brought up "being less moody" and "more selfless." Jaden McDaniels said they needed to "get rid of" the moodiness.
No one said Randle's name, but he, of course, came to mind. When things are going well with him, you couldn't ask for much more, but on the other hand, it can get ugly, fast.
Timberwolves could already be done with Julius Randle
Randle averaged 16 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game for the Timberwolves in the 2026 playoffs, shooting just 39% from the field and 24.4% from three. There were too many instances of poor effort that contributed to his lackluster play, something New York fans know a thing or two about.
With Minnesota facing elimination in Game 6 last Friday, he had only three points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field with seven rebounds and one assist in 24 minutes. There was zero sense of urgency. That's not the kind of offensive output the Timberwolves envisioned for their No. 2 option, especially in a win-or-go-home situation.
After Minnesota's second consecutive run to the conference finals in 2025, the team re-signed Randle to a three-year, $100 million contract. Randle flipped the narrative of not being a playoff riser on its head (at least in the first two rounds), enough so that the Timberwolves prioritized locking him down for the future.
Here we are, a year later, and as Mares said, the forward's value has dipped significantly. Luckily, for Minnesota at least, Randle has just two years left on his deal: $33.3 million next season and a $35.8 million player option for 2027-28. Still, the Timberwolves will probably have to add sweetener to a trade to entice a team to trade for him after the postseason he just had.
Knicks found a better co-star for Jalen Brunson
It seemed like New York would keep Randle around, at least for the start of the 2024-25 season. The Knicks looked hot in January 2024 with a healthy OG Anunoby and bought-in Randle, though that was short-lived, as both got hurt. The difference, of course, was that the latter didn't return for the rest of the season.
The front office didn't sign Randle to an extension when he became eligible in August 2024, so while that alone made a trade feel more real, that didn't lower the shock value. New York felt that Towns was a better fit beside Brunson, to the point where it felt giving up DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick was worth it.
The Knicks got a taste of the payoff they hoped for when they made it to the conference finals for the first time since 2000 in 2025, but that wasn't why they traded for him. After a shaky post-NBA Cup stretch, with New York not looking like the cream of the crop in the East with Brunson and KAT, people began to speculate if the front office would flip KAT at the deadline.
That didn't happen, and it's a good thing it didn't.
Their season wasn't over when they went down 2-1 against the Hawks in the first round, though a lot of you out there probably thought so. Towns stepping in as the team's playmaking hub in that series changed everything. Literally — they've been unstoppable since then.
It's fair to say things wouldn't have worked out the way they have if Randle were still around, which was the point of the Knicks making the trade in the first place. Now, as speculation swirls about his future in Minnesota, New York is reminded yet again that it was the right call.
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