Timberwolves Trade Julius Randle, Move Back in NBA Draft
Reports have surfaced recently that the Minnesota Timberwolves are struggling to find what they are looking for on the offseason trade market, especially in their search for high-caliber guard help to pair next to Anthony Edwards.
Meanwhile, the entire league has been stuck in line waiting behind the Milwaukee Bucks while they comb through their umpteenth trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Unsurprisingly, that finally wore thin on president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly.
Minnesota Timberwolves trade Julius Randle in salary dump of century
With the NBA Draft looming on Tuesday night, the MN Timberwolves accepted a trade with the Brooklyn Nets that reportedly dumps the salary of Julius Randle on the Brooklyn Nets. But here is the kicker, the cost of dumping Randle was moving out of the first round in this week’s draft.
On paper, it’s a three-team deal that sends BOTH Randle and the Wolves’ No. 28 overall draft pick to Brooklyn in exchange for the third pick in the second round (No. 33 overall).
The Chicago Bulls receive Nic Claxton from the Nets, as well, and sent Mo Gueye to Minnesota. According to Dane Moore, he will be waived
Just in: Minnesota is sending Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. The Timberwolves will acquire Brooklyn’s No. 33 pick for Randle and No. 28. pic.twitter.com/TvADMMNDlg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Minnesota is taking no money back in the Julius Randle to Brooklyn trade, source says.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) June 23, 2026
This generates a $33.3M trade exception for Minnesota to use in a future trade. Also opens up considerable spending power to use in free agency and/or by absorbing contracts in trades (while…
Well, I guess this eliminates speculation that the Minnesota Timberwolves were going to trade up in the first round of the NBA Draft tomorrow.
Clearly, the Timberwolves are selling this move to reporters as one that will allow them, not only to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu, but also sign a free agent to the mid-level exception, which is worth about $15 million next season.
Are we buying Timberwolves reasoning here?
With that being said, this move doesn’t just dump Randle’s salary on Brooklyn, but it effectively goes back and dumps Karl-Anthony Towns’ on the Knicks, who then took it and won an NBA Championship trophy.
Keep in mind, there are less than 24 hours until the draft begins and a lot of chess pieces around the league remain up in the air. It’s possible this is the first move in something bigger that Tim Connelly has up his sleeve for draft night, or the days that come after. At least, that’s what we have to hope.
Despite Julius Randle’s struggles against the Spurs, he averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 148 games with the Minnesota Timberwolves and played a pivotal role in them advancing to the conference finals in 2025. To throw his salary away, and take a hit in draft position, in the process, is a tough look.
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