Julius Randle’s New Contract Makes Timberwolves’ Future Plans Clear

Timberwolves Make Two New Deals in Two Days

Wolves fans barely had the chance to process Naz Reid’s $125 million extension before another nine-figure deal was agreed to. Combined with Rudy Gobert’s $35 million for next season, the Wolves’ trio of bigs now takes up a significant portion of the salary cap. The contracts also come in the wake of new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore taking full control. They are proving their word is true, as they ensured fans they would pay to keep the team competitive coming off back-to-back Western Conference Finals. However, both Randle and Reid have had questions about their playoff performance, and both struggled against the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Odd Man Out

Randle’s deal likely means the Timberwolves will be unable to sign unrestricted free agent Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a new deal. He outplayed his small two-year, $9 million deal, and will now look for his first big NBA payday. Players with his shooting ability and defensive tenacity proved their worth in the playoffs this year. Both NBA finalists carried rosters full of similar builds, such as Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith. One team to keep an eye on is Detroit. With some negotiation, they could find cap space to offer Alexander-Walker a solid contract. He fits their timeline as the Pistons look to make noise in the East. NAW will be missed in Minnesota, but the team hopes second-year wings Jaylen Clark or Terrence Shannon Jr. will offer some semblance of his impact.

Randle’s New Deal Signals Belief From Timberwolves

By signing Randle to this new deal, it appears that Timberwolves brass believes in the former All-NBA man. He helped the Wolves close the season 17-4 and was arguably the best Wolf in their two playoff series wins. He dispelled many conceptions about his ability to rise to the occasion. Now the Wolves are committed to a core of Anthony Edwards, Randle, Reid, and Jaden McDaniels. However, against the Thunder, he was often too slow or too careless with the ball. He never had the impact against their elite defense that would’ve been necessary to take them down. It’s hard to judge his performance too harshly – Oklahoma City was an all-time great defense. Their roster is full of stoppers who thrive on creating chaos. But if Minnesota has real championship aspirations (which they should, considering they employ Anthony Edwards), the Thunder are always going to be in their way.