The old has gone, the new has come. The Minnesota Timberwolves will no longer be rolling out starting lineups featuring Karl-Anthony Towns. Instead, Julius Randle will officially be taking his place. It may seem like an alternate universe when opening night rolls around, but this is the reality Tim Connelly and the front office have created for themselves.
Friday night's blockbuster trade did take a few days to be officially finalized, so Wolves fans were certainly holding their breaths for longer than they would have liked. But now that the deal is official, Randle will be suiting up for Minnesota wearing number 30, and Towns will don the number 32 for the New York Knicks.
On Thursday, the Timberwolves hosted an introductory press conference for Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop. The three appeared before members of the local media and shared their thoughts on everything that has gone down in the last week.
During the media session, Randle was asked about potentially signing in Minnesota, to which he gave a long and telling answer. "Absolutely," Julius said. "Just being around here and being around the environment, Tim , Finchy, all those guys, that stuff is important. They've made me feel more than at home. Just super comfortable, the energy is up. Just being in the building, the energy is up. The guys seem like everybody gets along."
Julius Randle on possibly signing a long-term deal with the Timberwolves: “You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here and everybody has embraced me. Tim has been great. I played for Finch. I really believe in Finch. Ultimately, yeah, I do want to be here.” pic.twitter.com/XKh7t7PYsV
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 3, 2024
Julius Randle seems content to be with the Timberwolves
We should remember that Randle did not have to go into detail like this in his first public appearance with his new team, but he clearly felt strongly enough about his new situation that he wanted to make sure everyone was aware. He also threw in a subtle but noticeable comment about being wanted in Minnesota.
"At the end of the day, to the core of who I am, I'm a basketball player. That's what I love to do," Julius said with a smile. "So for me, being here is super important. You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. And I feel wanted here. I feel like everybody's really embracing me. Like I said, Tim has been great. I played for Finch, I really believe in Finch. And ultimately, I do want to be here."
Once again, this is simply a situation where Randle was not obligated to heap praise on his new coach and General Manager right from the start. But the fact that he did anyway seems to be an excellent sign that he really could see a long-term future with the Timberwolves.