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The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on from a declining former Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks forward after two seasons with the franchise.
On Friday, Minnesota completed a monster four-team LaMelo Ball-centered deal to send the 31-year-old veteran to the Brooklyn Nets.
“The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired guards LaMelo Ball and Josh Green from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for forward Naz Reid, a 2033 first-round pick, three second-round picks, and three future first-round pick swaps,” the franchise’s press release stated.
“As part of the four-team deal, which includes the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls, the Timberwolves will receive the draft rights to guard Isaiah Evans from the Nets in exchange for forward Julius Randle and the draft rights to forward Joshua Jefferson.”
Randle was undoubtedly a high-level regular-season contributor for the Timberwolves, but didn’t play his best basketball in the postseason. During the 2025 playoffs, the Kentucky product was an erratic scorer against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, resulting in a 4-1 series loss.
During the 2026 Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, Randle was disastrous on the perimeter and in the low post, struggling to make decisive moves and avoid his turnover-prone tendencies.
The former first-round pick averaged 12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 3.0 turnovers in Minnesota’s 4-2 series loss, shooting 34.2% from the field and 19.0% from three-point land.
It was apparent that the Timberwolves wouldn’t ever reach their potential with Randle as a top-3 scoring option, explaining why the organization no longer employs him.
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