Julius Randle's future with the Minnesota Timberwolves was up in the air heading into the playoffs. And frankly, he hasn't done much to help his case for staying in Minnesota during these playoffs, particularly in the second-round against the San Antonio Spurs.
Randle came into Game 5 averaging an underwhelming 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 4.5 turnovers on 37/26.7/76.5 shooting splits. Unfortunately, Randle wasn't able to right the ship in Game 5, posting 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting from the field en route to a 126-97 loss. Sure, it was nice that Randle was active on the glass, grabbing 10 rebounds, but the Wolves need more production from their second option.
I don't want to jump the gun too much. However, with the Wolves down 3-2 now to the Spurs and seemingly having no answer for their relentless defense, it's fair to start thinking a bit about the offseason. Even if the Wolves get past the Spurs, a rematch with the Oklahoma City Thunder isn't a series that plays to Randle's strengths.
As such, it seems all but certain that Randle will be the team's top trade candidate this offseason.
Randle is proving that he can't be a second option on a championship team
During this series, Randle's decision-making has been subpar, to say the least. Whether it's forcing up ill-advised shots or not making quick enough reads against double teams, Randle's decision-making has cost the Wolves significantly this series.
As we saw last playoffs against the Thunder, Randle struggles against physical defenses, with strong rim protection and swarming perimeter defenders. The Thunder and the Spurs are now clearly the class of the Western Conference.
Simply put, you won't have success against these top-end teams if your second-best player doesn't have the skill set to overcome this style of defense.
Furthermore, in general, inconsistent play has been the story of Randle's career. This year started off great, but things went rapidly downhill after the All-Star break, and he's never fully bounced back.
I'd love for Randle to be Anthony Edwards' co-star on a championship team. When Randle is playing well, his blend of shot creation, size, and playmaking is a nice complement to Ant. Nevertheless, the harsh reality is that he hasn't been consistent enough for this to be the case.
On top of everything else, the Wolves signed Naz Reid to a five-year, $125 million contract last summer, and he is proving that he can take on a starting role.
The Timberwolves need to trade Randle for a more dependable co-star
This series has shown us that the Wolves absolutely need a better second option alongside Edwards. Despite his flaws and struggles, trading Randle in one way or another remains the Wolves' cleanest path to landing this much-desired co-star.
Minnesota's pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo at the trade deadline was well-documented, and these rumors will certainly pick back up in the offseason. However, landing Giannis would cost a lot more than just Randle.
If the Wolves want to trade Randle in more of a straightforward deal, it's fair to expect them to look to address the point guard position. While Ayo Dosunmu has helped the Wolves mightily, this series has shown that the Wolves still need a star-level point guard.
There are plenty of more specific trade scenarios that we'll surely discuss at a later time, but for now, it's fair to say that Randle returning to Minnesota seems unlikely.
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