After spending his first five NBA seasons struggling to find a role in the league with the Lakers and Pelicans, Julius Randle came to New York for what was, at the time, a relatively controversial three-year, $62 million contract, one many considered an overpay. But Randle developed into an All-Star, averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his second year, and his reputation in New York—and around the league—changed.
Alas, Randle was hurt for much of last year with a shoulder injury and even before that, the team began re-adjusting its roster around a different style of play, built on versatility on both ends of the floor. Randle, a pure power forward, did not quite fit that mold.
And so this weekend, the Knicks pulled off a stunning blockbuster trade, sending Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo, DaQuan Jeffries and a first-round pick to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade for Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Randle, and his wife, Kendra, have long done well in handling the ups and downs of attention in New York. In the wake of the trade, Kendra Randle took to social media to offer her reaction to the deal, and to thank New York for its treatment of her, Julius Randle and their son, Kyle.
She wrote on Instagram: “Forever grateful for this experience. NY was amazing to our family. Kye Kye grew up in the Garden. We got here when he was 1.5 … this year he‘ll be 8. So many of you embraced him/us … Bittersweet … but so excited for a new, healthy chapter for our family.”
Julius Randle Will Join Anthony Edwards With Timberwolves
That new chapter will be in Minnesota, where Randle will join a team that went to the Western Conference for the first time in 20 years last season and is anchored by star guard Anthony Edwards, who is only 23 years old but has been an All-Star twice and was an All-NBA selection last year.
As long as Edwards continues his rise up the list of the NBA’s top players, the Wolves will continue to be a factor in the West.
Randle himself was an All-Star last season, but he will turn 30 in November and is not nearly the athlete or two-way player that Towns is. The Knicks surely won the trade on that level—New York figures to be an imposing team on the defensive end and, if healthy, is probably the only Eastern Conference contender built to handle the defending champ Boston Celtics.
Knicks Taking on Significant Financial Commitment
But the finances of the move were the driver for Minnesota, a team that is well into the NBA’s dreaded second apron of the luxury tax and needs to get its financial house in order, especially as the team seeks a buyer. Randle will make $29 million this year, and has a player option for $31 million next year.
Towns, meanwhile, signed an extension two years ago and will make $49 million this year, followed by $171 million over the next three seasons. Ultimately, the Wolves could not afford such a heavy investment in one player.
The Knicks, though, can. Adding Towns, even with DiVincenzo also leaving New York, gives the Knicks a more balanced roster, with Mitchell Robinson expected to start at center but with Towns filling that role frequently. Playing Randle as a small-ball center was under consideration in New York, but it’s not something that is a strength of his.
Now, though, he can move into a more comfortable situation with the Timberwolves where he will be asked to play power forward. It should be a good fit all around.
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