Julius Randle reflects on 'very unexpected' trade to Timberwolves

Randle was part of a blockbuster trade that saw himself and longtime Wolves big-man Karl-Anthony Towns swap teams. Randle had been with the Knicks since the 2019-2020 season, and was coming off helping New York to a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Towns had been with the Wolves since Minnesota selected him with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

In his first season with the Wolves, Randle played in 69 regular-season games, averaging 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 48% from the field — his highest percentage in six seasons. He became a key piece in a Wolves lineup that advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season.

"I was ready for a new start," continued Randle. "I had a little bit of comfort knowing I was going to play for [Wolves head coach Chris] Finch."

Subscribe: Sign up for the free Timberwolves On SI newsletter

In Minnesota, Randle reunited with Finch, who had coached Randle in New Orleans when the pair were there during the 2018-19 season. Randle had one of the better seasons of his 11-year career with the Pelicans, averaging 21.4 points on 52% shooting.

Following the lone year in New Orleans, Randle landed a three-year, $62 million deal with the Knicks. He would go on to sign a four-year, $117 million extension with the Knicks in August 2021, with the final year of that contract playing out in a Timberwolves uniform.

At the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, questions persisted whether Randle would be seen as a long-term piece in Minnesota. In July, the Minnesota front office answered those questions by signing Randle to a three-year, $100 million contract in a move that signaled they would be running it back in 2025-26.

When asked what helped him transition to Minnesota and become a key piece on a rising Western Conference power, Randle credited clearing his mind and strengthening the mental part of his game and life.

"It's so important to have a clear mind and being able to be strong mentally and independent mentally, without anything influencing you as far as substance or voice or whatever," said Randle. "Like, you know, being able to sort your own thoughts and have your own personal opinion about things, right or wrong. I think, for me, I can judge whether it's right or wrong better if I have a clear-thinking brain in mind, which is what I worked on."

"I think I'm a lot more zen than I used to be and I'm able to problem solve a lot better because of that," he added.

More from Timberwolves On SI