Of all the contending teams in the Western Conference, there is one that hasn’t been mentioned much about this NBA trade deadline. The Timberwolves trade rumors may be few, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t benefit from making some moves. Right now, the Timberwolves are 23-21, tied for the eighth-best record in the West. This is not where the team was hoping to be after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. One reason for this decline has been the disappointing play of Julius Randle. The Timberwolves traded for Randle from the Knicks this offseason, and the fit hasn’t been great. We are going to look at if a Julius Randle trade is possible to see if the Timberwolves can rid themselves of their offseason mistake.
The Timberwolves May Need To Make A Drastic Trade
The Randle Fit Hasn’t Been Great
It is unclear what the Timberwolves were expecting. Sure, Randle is a former All-NBA player, who can dominate on the offensive end each night. Still, trading him for Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason had some people scratching their heads. The Timberwolves were just a couple of wins away from an NBA Finals appearance last season, and shaking up their roster may not have been the smartest decision.
For one, Randle can’t space the floor like Towns can. Towns is one of the best shooting big men in the league and shoots 40% from three for his career. This spacing allowed Minnesota’s star, Anthony Edwards to attack the rim on offense, despite the paint-clogging presence of Rudy Gobert. Randle shoots 33.3% from three and is a known ball-stopper on offense. This lack of fit may be why the Timberwolves decide to make a Julius Randle trade.
A Julius Randle Trade Could Be Hard To Pull Off
Despite the appeal of trading Randle, there are some hurdles to overcome. His player option and the size of his contract make it difficult for Minnesota to find suitors willing to take him on without sending back undesirable contracts. If the Timberwolves decide to move him, they may have to sell him below his value or take on negative contracts.
Additionally, Randle’s trade value and production on the floor don’t really match. His defensive weaknesses and the perception that he is better suited to a high-usage role on a team where he can be a primary option make teams nervous to trade for him. These factors limit the number of teams that would be interested in acquiring him.
Julius Randle Trade Rumors For The Timberwolves Are Quiet
There aren’t many teams that would be interested in Randle. Good teams probably wouldn’t want to bring someone in who requires such high usage this late into the season. His defensive skills also aren’t going to help anyone contend for a championship.
Bad teams also might not be that interested. Randle is still almost a 20-point-per-game scorer. If a bad team trades for Randle, will they be hurting their chances at a high draft pick? Or could they be hampering the development of their youth?
The Timberwolves might be better off without Randle clogging up their offense and weakening their defense. Unfortunately, it seems that ridding themselves of him and his contract may be a tall task.
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