In early October, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the basketball world. At the end of the offseason, the two teams swapped big men with Julius Randle going to Minnesota and Karl-Anthony Towns going to New York. Though Randle had appeared in trade rumors for a long time, it was still a sudden and blockbuster move. And in a recent interview, the 29-year-old admitted the trade threw him off.
Randle recently spoke with Marc J. Spears of Andscape. In the interview, Randle spoke about the trade to Minnesota. Though he said he was happy to land in Minnesota, he talked about the shock of the trade and how it impacted him.
“I was really thrown off with it being so close to training camp,” Randle said of the trade. “We had training camp in two or three days. My mindset was ready to go to Charleston [South Carolina] for training camp. It took me like a night or two [to accept it]. The next morning. I was extremely happy because I forgot everything else and thought about the basketball side … “It’s not that I was thinking I couldn’t get traded. I kind of had an idea [trade talks] were going on, but I think it would happen more during the season or closer to the trade deadline because the summer already passed. I was a little shocked on the timing. I was happy with where I was going, for sure.”
Julius Randle Reveals Admission About Trade to Timberwolves
Julius Randle’s Start to His Minnesota Timberwolves Career
Randle has already played a few games for the Timberwolves and has looked good. In three games with the team so far, he is averaging 24.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Furthermore, he is shooting 62.8% from the field and 53.8% from the three-point line. Though these are small sample sizes, his shooting percentages are currently the best of his career. Paired next to reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert, the two of them make an intriguing frontcourt duo. They complement each other well and should help keep the Timberwolves in legitimate title contention.
It remains unclear whether he is a better fit in Minnesota than Towns. However, early on, Timberwolves fans should have a lot of excitement with what they are seeing out of Randle.
The Last Word
Through three games, the Timberwolves are 2-1. Given their Western Conference Finals appearance last season, their solid start is no surprise. They remain one of the favorites to represent the West in the NBA Finals next year and are still arguably the best defensive team in the league. Furthermore, their upcoming schedule should be an easy one for the team. In their next 10 games, the Timberwolves play seven teams who did not make the playoffs last season.
The West is incredibly competitive, but the Timberwolves have established themselves as one of the best teams in the conference. Led by Anthony Edwards and the new Randle-Gobert duo, there is a lot to like about Minnesota’s chances this season. They have never won a championship in franchise history. However, for the first time in a long time, the team is in a good position to end this streak once and for all.
