Last week, the most respected Minnesota Timberwolves insider on the planet, Jon Krawcyznski, said it's unlikely that Minnesota will trade veteran forward Julius Randle. But Krawczynski acknowledged things can change, and they very well could be changing.
According to NBA insider Evan Sidery, who contributes to Forbes and is followed on X the likes of Brian Windhorst, Sam Amico and local Wolves analyst/reporter Dane Moore, there's a belief around the league that Minnesota will try to trade Randle before the Feb. 6 deadline.
"Rival executives believe the Timberwolves will be seeking a Julius Randle trade before the deadline for a better on-court fit alongside Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert," Sidery reported Thursday. "Randle has a $30.9 million player option for next season many around the NBA are expecting him to pick up."
The idea that Randle would pick up his $30.9 million player option in 2025-26 is interesting considering he's 30 years old and may only have one significant contract left in his career.
If he isn't traded and he picks up his option for next season to stay with the Timberwolves, that could make it difficult for Minnesota to keep both Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are set to become free agents after the season.
This is what Krawczynski said on his Jan. 16 podcast about Randle: "Right now, as I look at it, I do think it's unlikely. Obviously things can change a great deal in the next three and a half weeks leading into the Feb. 6 trade deadline."
He added: "There are things that the Wolves are going to continue to look at, but I don't think, as of right now, a Julius Randle trade is a likelihood or high on their list of priorities as they look at what to do to improve this team going forward. I think most of the improvement is going to be focused on internal improvement."
Related: 4-team trade idea involving Jimmy Butler, Bradley Beal, Julius Randle, more
Things certainly have changed since Krawczynski's last podcast. The biggest change has been the significant big toe sprain suffered by Donte DiVincenzo. The Wolves have confirmed that it's a Grade 3 sprain, which typically requires 2-6 months of recovery time and sometimes leads to surgery.
Minnesota (23-21) enters play Thursday tied with Dallas for eighth in the Western Conference. They're only 1.5 games ahead of 11th place Golden State, but also only 1.5 games behind the Lakers and Clippers, who currently occupy the fifth and sixth spots in the conference standings.
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Myles Turner had spent the first ten seasons of his career playing for the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the former Texas star helped lead the franchise to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. However, Turner shockingly signed with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month. Via ESPN's Shams Charania (on July 1): " Free agent center Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker, sources tell ESPN. Stunner." One person who reacted to the signing was New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson (via Roommates Show). Brunson: "I thought the Myles Turner thing was like weird... You know what's crazy about that? I feel like he was on the trading block like every year... It was like that for at least five, six years." Turner finished his final year in Indiana with averages of 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 blocks per contest while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.6% from the three-point range in 72 games. He was the 11th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. As for Brunson, he led the Knicks to the 2025 Eastern Confernece finals They lost to Turner and the Pacers (in six games). Brunson (who has been with New York for three seasons) had averages of 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point range in 65 games.
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Shedeur Sanders has been working with the Cleveland Browns' equipment staff as the No. 4 quarterback this summer. He'll have a new opportunity following the troubling injury news for Kenny Pickett. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Pickett suffered a hamstring injury during Saturday's practice and will not receive reps until his issue is re-evaluated. "Browns QB Kenny Pickett injured his hamstring near the end of Saturday’s practice and is expected to re-evaluate the injury later this week, per sources," Schefter posted on X. "Pickett was coming off a strong couple of practices, per sources, and at least for the short term, there now will be more reps for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett's injury will shake up the quarterback race in Cleveland. Through OTAs and early in training camp, Sanders has been the odd man out as the only signal caller on the roster not to receive reps with the first-team offense. It's unclear if the Browns coaching staff intends to give Sanders reps with the first-team offense now that Pickett is sidelined, but the fifth-round pick will have more chances this week to prove that he deserves an opportunity to stay in Cleveland. The Browns are in a unique situation with their rookie quarterbacks. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel was selected before Sanders, but the son of Deion Sanders fell to Day 3 of the draft for reasons other than talent. The majority of draft analysts had Sanders as a better-graded quarterback than Gabriel, and many thought the Colorado product would be taken in the first round. The Browns can use the injury as an excuse to give Sanders reps with the first team, and it's a task they need to take advantage of before the team names a starter. Sanders has the potential to be a starter in the league, and this week is pivotal for his rookie season in Cleveland.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit into the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .217/.288/.408 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability, and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts, and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.