Julius Randle's lackluster play in these playoffs has placed a spotlight on the Minnesota Timberwolves' glaring need for a better second option next to Anthony Edwards. It's self-explanatory that Randle would be included in whatever trade it would take to get this player. However, what hasn't been talked about is how the Wolves may be forced to trade one of their young fan favorites in that trade to push the deal over the edge.
The two guys that other teams would likely covet the most are Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid. Jaden is a lockdown wing defender with a lot of untapped offensive potential that might get a chance at a bigger role on another team. Naz Reid is a perfect modern stretch four, with some elite ball-handling skills for a big man, and he's another guy who would benefit from a bigger role.
Obviously, the Wolves don't want to trade either of these guys, but trades need to be accepted both ways, and you have to give up talent to get some.
Julius Randle's lackluster playoffs likely tanked his trade market value
After this Spurs series, a lot of people will ask questions in the offseason like, "Why would you trade for Julius Randle?" or "Julius Randle is a negative asset, right?"
The skepticism is definitely valid, but I still do believe Randle can be a fine fit on certain teams, just not the Wolves. His contract is straightforward to offload; it's two years for $69.2 million. He is also a better fit as an offensive hub, but he can't do that in Minnesota.
Despite these couple of positives, I wouldn't blame other teams for being turned off to a Randle trade after watching him in these playoffs, especially if it's Randle for their star player.
This is where the Wolves may have to sweeten the deal with other pieces if they want to truly upgrade. Whether it's Jaden, Naz, or someone else, the Shams notification will definitely tickle the heartstrings, but I'm sure Wolves fans will understand it too.
Who is worth trading Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid plus Julius Randle for?
The obvious answer where the Wolves would need to trade one of these guys is in any package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the deadline, the Bucks were firm on getting Jaden McDaniels in the package.
In the offseason, however, the Wolves might be more desperate to make the all-in move and pair Giannis with Ant, making a guy like McDaniels more available for the Bucks. Likewise, the Bucks will be more willing to trade Giannis this summer.
Other than Giannis, a guy that makes some sense is Kawhi Leonard. Despite his age, he had a career year scoring the ball last season, and he was healthy. I wouldn't trade Jaden in that deal strictly for age reasons, but trading Naz for that might be in play. The same reasoning for Kawhi, I also have for Kyrie Irving, who would be a perfect fit for Anthony Edwards.
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