I think everyone is anticipating Julius Randle to be traded this offseason. He averaged just 12.8 points while shooting 34.2 percent from the field and averaging 3 turnovers to 1.5 assists against the San Antonio Spurs. It was a disastrous playoff series for a player of his caliber, and it shows that the Minnesota Timberwolves need a better second option alongside Anthony Edwards.
And it seems like Randle knows that he's gone, as he was the only Wolves rotation player who didn't participate in either an exit interview on Saturday or a postgame interview after Friday's loss. Randle has received the majority of criticism for the Timberwolves' second-round loss. Undoubtedly, he would have had to answer some tough questions about his performance and perhaps his future.
I'm sure talking to the media isn't fun for most players, especially after a series like that, but it's part of the job, and Wolves fans were hoping to hear Randle's perspective. The Timberwolves organization is likely not pleased with this decision either.
While it was hard to imagine Randle being brought back to begin with, now it feels flat-out impossible.
Randle refusing to talk to the media tells you everything you need to know about his future
In some ways, I feel bad for Randle. He was never fully embraced by the fan base despite constantly discussing how much he loved Minnesota, and throughout his career (including during his time with the Wolves), he has been in trade rumors.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported that coaches and teammates believe that Randle's name being mentioned in trade rumors hurt his production. Given the timing of his regular season slump (that carried over to the postseason), this makes sense.
At the same time, Randle underperformed, and he should have taken accountability. When you are making upwards of $30 million a year, part of the business is dealing with rumors and criticism.
Skipping out on media obligations is nothing new for Randle; he even did so after a playoff win that he performed poorly in three years ago. Still, seeing a player of this prominence refuse to talk to the media after a disappointing performance is an awful look.
Randle's subpar performance was likely a driving factor in his decision not to speak with the media. Likewise, it's a clear signal that he is accepting his fate as a trade candidate this offseason and that he's ready to move on.
Trading Randle might prove to be easier said than done, given his subpar playoffs and that his playstyle is a tricky fit on most teams. As such, the Wolves might have to package him with other players and/or draft assets. Nevertheless, the Randle era will come to a close this offseason, and it seems like everyone knows this.
Add us as a preferred source on Google