With a big offseason ahead, the Minnesota Timberwolves need to make a decision on Julius Randle this summer.
The Wolves bet big on Randle by signing him to a three-year, $100 million contract extension last offseason, but one year later, Minnesota has been rumored to be looking for a trade partner as Randle struggled during the regular season and the team’s Western Conference semifinals loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Since Randle’s struggles were in front of everyone, it’s hard to see a team giving up a ransom to acquire him this summer. But no matter what the Timberwolves get in a potential trade, it could give them the benefit of watching several of their core players reach their full potential.
Trading Julius Randle could unlock Timberwolves’ young core
Looking at the box score, Randle has been a productive player for the Wolves after coming over from the New York Knicks before the 2024-25 season. In two years, he’s averaged 20 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and he’s shot well enough to be an offensive threat with an overall field goal percentage of 48.2 percent and a 3-point percentage of 32.9 percent.
But Randle’s game had deficiencies that can’t be seen in the stats. His inconsistencies stretched to both the offensive and defensive ends of the court and at times, he became a black hole that grinded Chris Finch’s offense to a halt when the ball was in his hands.
Randle was also one of the biggest examples of the Wolves’ poor decision-making under pressure and Finch’s loyalty to him has come at the cost of some of their foundational players.
This is a key reason the Wolves could trade Randle and it could mean big things for the trio of Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer.
McDaniels is held in high regard by the Timberwolves’ front office to the point he is reportedly off-limits in trade talks. While he’s established himself as one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, the Wolves could get more of him on the offensive end without Randle. A career-high 14.8 points per game isn’t anything to scoff at, but having a forward willing to share the wealth could give McDaniels more opportunities and a bigger role on offense.
Speaking of the power forward role, it would also be a huge boost for Reid. While the Wolves would have to replace his scoring ability off the bench, he’s already being paid like a starter at $23.2 million next season according to Spotrac.
Putting him into the starting lineup would greatly benefit the Wolves' floor spacing and he makes quicker decisions than Randle.
While Reid and McDaniels have a lot to gain without Randle clogging things up, Beringer could be the biggest beneficiary.
He won’t turn 20 until November, but the Frenchman looked good in limited action, averaging 17.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes. A small sample size should be considered, as well as the 5.4 personal fouls per 36 minutes, but more time on the court could help him iron out those parts of his game and make him part of the sub-26 core.
This should convince the Wolves to end the Randle experiment. Even if it only results in some draft picks and a role player, those picks could restock the cabinet for a bigger move.
Of course, Wolves fans would love it if trading Randle resulted in bringing in a high-end co-star. But even if trading him doesn’t, there are several benefits that could help the Wolves compete next season as well as into the future.
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