According to sources, the Timberwolves and forward Julius Randle have reached an agreement on a multiyear contract, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Charania claims that the new deal, which will replace Randle’s player option for 2025–2026 and be worth $100 million over three years, will also contain a third-year player option for 2027–2028. Randle took some time to get used to the new environment after being traded from the Knicks to the Timberwolves in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster at the beginning of training camp last autumn. He didn’t shoot or score as much in his first season as a Timberwolf as he had become used to during his time in New York.
But in the end, the 30-year-old enjoyed another successful season in Minnesota as a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator of plays, averaging 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game in 69 games with a shooting percentage of.485/.344/.806. In the regular season, the Timberwolves had a 44-25 record in the games he played and a 5-8 record in the ones he missed. Randle’s contract is the second significant one the Timberwolves have signed with a frontcourt player between the draft’s conclusion and the formal start of free agency. Naz Reid also signed a five-year, $125 million contract with Minnesota.
After playing as a second-apron team in 2024–2025, I anticipate that Wolves will be reluctant to go over that threshold once more. The two contracts will push the team payroll to the verge of the second tax apron for 2025–2026. Free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is probably going to end up somewhere else unless there are cost-cutting measures taken elsewhere on the roster.
Randle’s new contract may be finalised as a veteran extension in June instead of a free agent agreement in July, depending on its specifics. He would still be eligible for a trade this summer if that were the case. Otherwise, he won’t be able to be dealt until December 15.
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