In a surprising move, the Brooklyn Nets hooked up with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls for a three-team trade that centers around Julius Randle. The trade won’t be official until the start of the 2026 NBA fiscal year.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Randle is headed to Brooklyn along with the No. 28 pick in this year’s draft. Minnesota receives the Nets’ No. 33 pick in 2026 and Mo Gueye from the Bulls. Meanwhile, Chicago gets Nic Claxton.
Just in: Minnesota is sending Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. The Timberwolves will acquire Brooklyn’s No. 33 pick for Randle and No. 28. pic.twitter.com/TvADMMNDlg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Who Won The 3-Team Julius Randle Trade and What Does It Mean For Each Franchise?
Julius Randle heads back to New York City, where he played five years with the Knicks before spending the last two seasons with the Timberwolves. The two-time all-star is coming off a nice bounce-back campaign this past season as he averaged 21.1, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and a career-best 1.1 steals. He has two years and $69.1 million remaining on his contract, with 2027-28 as a player option. The Nets are the 31-year-old’s fifth team since being the No. 7 overall pick in 2014.
Claxton has spent his entire, much-maligned seven-year career with the Nets. The athletic 27-year-old has seen his production and efficiency decline since posting a career season in 2022-23, when he finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He has two years and $44 million left on his contract.
Nets Trade Grade: A+
Brooklyn has undergone a painful yet fruitful rebuild over the last two seasons, winning 42 games. The Nets went 20-62 this past season, finishing last in offensive efficiency and scoring. They averaged 105.9 points a game, which was nearly five points fewer than any other team in the league.
Julius Randle is an offensive savant. Randle provides the Nets with a reliable secondary whom they can run their offense through and create in the half-court. He also figures to provide leadership for the youngest team in the NBA last season, with an average of 23.3, and to start in the frontcourt alongside Day’Ron Sharpe and Michael Porter Jr. Sharpe has a $6.5 million club option for the upcoming campaign that the Nets were expected to pick up before the trade.
By sending Claxton to the Bulls, the Nets added just $10.01 million to their $123.56 million ledger for 2026-27. The Nets currently have 13 players under contract and two first-round picks (No.6 and No. 28). They also have the 43rd selection in the second round.
Unless the Nets decide to move on from Porter Jr., who is on an expiring contract, Terrence Mann, Noah Clowney, Ziaire Williams, Josh Minott, and Malachi Smith figure to be the likeliest roster casualties, Williams, Minott, and Smith have non-guaranteed deals.
Chicago Bulls Trade Grade: B
While Claxton isn’t a star, he has been a starter in the league for the last four seasons. The Bulls needed a starting center since trading Nikola Vucevic to Boston at the trade deadline. Plus, they only sent out Mo Gueye in the trade because of their enormous projected cap space.
The Bulls will use $23.1 million of their cap space to acquire Nic Claxton.
They go from from $54 million in cap space to $30.9 million in room remaining.
They would still have the $9.4 million room mid-level to use after.
Great business getting him essentially for free. pic.twitter.com/IOgBUIOril
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 23, 2026
The addition of Claxton aligns with the Bulls’ new vice president of basketball operations, Bryson Graham’s SLAP identity (Size, Length, Athleticism, Physicality). The 6-11 big gives the Bulls a switchable defender who is a strong rim protector with shot-blocking ability. He is an excellent offensive rebounder, though very limited on that end, with lobs, putbacks, and short rolls being his biggest strengths.
With the addition of Claxton and subtraction of Guye, the Bulls have 10 players under contract with salary obligations increasing to $126.2 million. This doesn’t account for the salaries of the Bulls’ two first-round picks (No. 4 and No. 15). They also have two second-round selections in 2026: No. 38 and No. 56.
Leonard Miller has a non-guaranteed deal, though he is expected to return. Miller was outstanding after coming over from Minnesota at the trade deadline and projects to have a chance to earn a regular rotation role with the team. Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams, and perhaps Jalen Smith are trade candidates.
Gueye, who has a non-guaranteed contract for 2026-27, saw 45 minutes of action in two appearances for the Bulls after signing with the franchise on April 9.
“Bulls had a few options here to make the trade legal (cash, top-55 protected future pick, etc),” Joe Lorenzi of The Athletic said on X. “They got Gueye on an end-of-season, non-guaranteed deal in April, and they get Claxton without digging into assets.”
Minnesota Timberwolves Trade Grade: D-
Granted, Minnesota‘s main goal in this trade was to save cap space. But the Wolves gave up a lot, though they did create a massive trade exception of about $31 million. Naz Reid is expected to replace Randle in the starting lineup. It will be the first time that Reid, who has finished in the top 5 in 6-Man of the Year voting the past three seasons, is a full-time starter.
By trading Randle, the Wolves moved below the cap threshold. But after agreeing to an extension with Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million deal, they project to be about $21 million below the luxury tax threshold. Dosunmu is slated to earn about $19.3 million in 2026-27.
Free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu intends to sign a five-year, $112 million contract to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a player option in the fifth season, sources tell ESPN. Timberwolves made it a major priority to lock in Dosunmu after his tremendous postseason. pic.twitter.com/xw93nAUhJt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
Minnesota has 11 players under contract for 2026-27, though Julian Phillips has a $2.4 million club option. The Timberwolves also own the No. 59 draft pick in 2026.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
