Chris Finch 'absolutely' expects Julius Randle, Naz Reid to be back

Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid both have player options for next season, making their futures uncertain as we approach the busiest period of the NBA offseason. Does head coach Chris Finch expect to have them back in Minnesota?

"Absolutely, yes," Finch told KFAN's Paul Allen. " I think both players want to be there. That's first and foremost the most important thing. We certainly want them there. I know Tim Connelly is working hard to make sure that they get some sort of deal done that makes them happy and want to stay, and feel gratitude that the team is taking care of them."

Finch saying that doesn't necessarily mean Randle and Reid won't wind up in another uniform next season, but it does carry some weight.

The two players are in slightly different situations. The 30-year-old Randle is a three-time All-Star heading into his 12th NBA season. After coming to Minnesota as the centerpiece of the Karl-Anthony Towns return, he had an up-and-down campaign but found his stride late in the season and in the first two rounds of the Wolves' playoff run. In total, he averaged roughly 22, 6, and 5 on close to 50/40/90 shooting splits in the postseason.

Randle has a $31 million player option on his contract. In theory, he could get more than that on the open market, but the reality of this offseason is that the Brooklyn Nets are basically the only team with significant cap space. Thus, Randle seems likely to either receive an extension from Minnesota, opt in and play out his expiring deal, or perhaps wind up traded for another star. Randle has expressed a desire to stick around with the Wolves.

Reid, who turns 26 this summer, is a former undrafted free agent who won the NBA's sixth man of the year award in 2024 and was arguably even better this past season. He has a unique set of skills for his size and is a fan favorite in Minnesota. Reid is a starting-caliber player who has been stuck behind Towns and then Randle on the depth chart, never starting more than 17 games in a season.

His player option is for a little over $15 million. Unlike Randle, he could realistically opt out and command more than his option number, as there are teams other than the Nets who could clear up the cap space to perhaps sign Reid for $20+ million per year. He has also made it known that he'd like to stay in Minnesota, the place he's called home for the past six years.

The deadline for deciding on player options is June 29, which is less than two weeks away.

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