Julius Randle

[Wolvesfan21]

I think 25 per would be my max depending on how the season finishes. He's 30 years old already, so I could see a small or decent decline over the next few. He's been a bit injury prone these last few years and he's already not a great fit, though the team was top 5 I believe in January on offense. So things are getting better with him on the court, if he can stay on the court.

Then we will find out more when/if the Wolves make the playoffs. But his career playoff performances thus far have been terrible. The goal is to win a chip, so we need guys who elevate during the games that matter most. Ju hasn't been that guy to this point in his career.

I could see 25 per being a fair deal for the team, all depending on how things play out. A trade seems probably unlikely now, just with so many restrictions and limitations on players we can or would take back.

I wouldn’t extend him for $25 million per year either. This team has to make a fundamental decision. Do they want to re-sign Naz? If they do, as they should, he’ll command at least $25 million and he’ll need to be our starting PF. He won’t stay here if he remains relegated to his 6th man role. If we make the decision to keep Naz, then Randle has to go. It’s unlikely he’d accept a backup role and even if he did we can’t pay him $25 million a year to be our backup PF for three years. And I haven’t even gotten to the issue of Randle’s fit or the fact that we can’t get below the first apron if we keep both Randle and Naz at $25 million per year each.

I think Randle is a terrific player and he seems like a good guy. But it doesn’t make sense to keep him here long term and that doesn’t seem like a close call to me.

Either or as the backup is a good problem to have though, assuming the players are on board with winning. I am also basing keeping him IF he finishes the season and playoffs well. He may want a bigger role, maybe he simply wants to win though? A bigger role on a lottery team or a decent role on a contender? We'll see what happens. The team may decide to go cheaper though and gamble on one of our younger guys to step up, and maybe a vet min guy. IDK if Garza, Miller or Minott are great options yet for big minutes or maybe you just have to play small. As much as you want to rip Randle, you have to look at the replacements too.

[Lipoli390]

I think 25 per would be my max depending on how the season finishes. He's 30 years old already, so I could see a small or decent decline over the next few. He's been a bit injury prone these last few years and he's already not a great fit, though the team was top 5 I believe in January on offense. So things are getting better with him on the court, if he can stay on the court.

Then we will find out more when/if the Wolves make the playoffs. But his career playoff performances thus far have been terrible. The goal is to win a chip, so we need guys who elevate during the games that matter most. Ju hasn't been that guy to this point in his career.

I could see 25 per being a fair deal for the team, all depending on how things play out. A trade seems probably unlikely now, just with so many restrictions and limitations on players we can or would take back.

I wouldn’t extend him for $25 million per year either. This team has to make a fundamental decision. Do they want to re-sign Naz? If they do, as they should, he’ll command at least $25 million and he’ll need to be our starting PF. He won’t stay here if he remains relegated to his 6th man role. If we make the decision to keep Naz, then Randle has to go. It’s unlikely he’d accept a backup role and even if he did we can’t pay him $25 million a year to be our backup PF for three years. And I haven’t even gotten to the issue of Randle’s fit or the fact that we can’t get below the first apron if we keep both Randle and Naz at $25 million per year each.

I think Randle is a terrific player and he seems like a good guy. But it doesn’t make sense to keep him here long term and that doesn’t seem like a close call to me.

Either or as the backup is a good problem to have though, assuming the players are on board with winning. I am also basing keeping him IF he finishes the season and playoffs well. He may want a bigger role, maybe he simply wants to win though? A bigger role on a lottery team or a decent role on a contender? We'll see what happens. The team may decide to go cheaper though and gamble on one of our younger guys to step up, and maybe a vet min guy. IDK if Garza, Miller or Minott are great options yet for big minutes or maybe you just have to play small. As much as you want to rip Randle, you have to look at the replacements too.

I don’t want “to rip Randle”. I just don’t want to pay him $25+ million per year for the next several seasons or $30 million next season. My view would be different if I thought he fit well with And, Jaden and Rudy, but I don’t think he does. And I might also have a different view if the Wolves didn’t have the 2nd apron albatross around their neck and a 1st apron anchor tied to their ankle even if they somehow get below the 2nd apron. Unfortunately, the Wolves have the 2nd highest payroll in the league and really need to re-sign Naz, who will command around $10 million more per year than they’re paying him now and likely won’t stay if he’s not our starting PF. Under the circumstances, it just wouldn’t make sense to pay Randle 25 to 30 million per year as our backup PF.

[WildWolf2813]

the positives to keeping Randle don't outweigh the negatives.


It's not as if we're banking on Randle to perform well in the playoffs assuming we get there.

[FNG]

The last two losses at home playing without Randle against undermanned teams has strengthened my hope that we don't unload him this week. Granted one of those losses was also without Ant, but I think we easily win both games if Ju is playing and Naz is providing firepower off the bench. And the narrative that Randle clogs the lane and doesn't facilitate Ant wasn't helped by Ant's poor game last night. Maybe TC has the long game in mind if he moves Randle, but I'm an immediate gratification kind of guy, and I foresee a tanked season if we don't get something back in return that immediately helps us.

[Sundog]

That’s where I am too, FNG

[FNG]

That’s where I am too, FNG

It's a weird place for me to be, sundog, because I've mostly been a Julius detractor throughout his career. But he's grown on me this year, and I loved how our offense was clicking the three weeks or so before he got hurt...even with Donte missing. With the emergence of Rob as a possible contributor at PG and Clark's incredible defense (Monk told Ant after the game "thank God you took that strong dude out!"), I'm eager to see what this team can do once Donte and Randle are back. But I also know TC doesn't often stand still, so I'm hoping he has something up his sleeve that can make us even better the last 32 games of the season...heck, we're still only 4 games out of 4th after 2 bad losses.

[60WinTim]

That’s where I am too, FNG

It's a weird place for me to be, sundog, because I've mostly been a Julius detractor throughout his career. But he's grown on me this year, and I loved how our offense was clicking the three weeks or so before he got hurt...even with Donte missing. With the emergence of Rob as a possible contributor at PG and Clark's incredible defense (Monk told Ant after the game "thank God you took that strong dude out!"), I'm eager to see what this team can do once Donte and Randle are back. But I also know TC doesn't often stand still, so I'm hoping he has something up his sleeve that can make us even better the last 32 games of the season...heck, we're still only 4 games out of 4th after 2 bad losses.

I tried to let Randle grow on me, but it just hasn't out thus far. I'll give it another go if he is still here after the trade deadline.

But I will agree the Wolves will suffer this season if they don't fill the void left by Randle's departure. They have to get a player or two in return that can bolster our front court.

[Lipoli390]

That’s where I am too, FNG

It's a weird place for me to be, sundog, because I've mostly been a Julius detractor throughout his career. But he's grown on me this year, and I loved how our offense was clicking the three weeks or so before he got hurt...even with Donte missing. With the emergence of Rob as a possible contributor at PG and Clark's incredible defense (Monk told Ant after the game "thank God you took that strong dude out!"), I'm eager to see what this team can do once Donte and Randle are back. But I also know TC doesn't often stand still, so I'm hoping he has something up his sleeve that can make us even better the last 32 games of the season...heck, we're still only 4 games out of 4th after 2 bad losses.

If you’re eager to see what this team can do once Donte and Randle are back you might want to look back not too far when both were playing — actually almost the entire season up until the last week (Randle) or two (Donte). How did this team do during that long span of time when both of them and the rest of our rotation players were healthy and playing every game? We were a slightly better than .500 team. That’s what we were with them and that’s what we are without them.

[FNG]

That’s where I am too, FNG

It's a weird place for me to be, sundog, because I've mostly been a Julius detractor throughout his career. But he's grown on me this year, and I loved how our offense was clicking the three weeks or so before he got hurt...even with Donte missing. With the emergence of Rob as a possible contributor at PG and Clark's incredible defense (Monk told Ant after the game "thank God you took that strong dude out!"), I'm eager to see what this team can do once Donte and Randle are back. But I also know TC doesn't often stand still, so I'm hoping he has something up his sleeve that can make us even better the last 32 games of the season...heck, we're still only 4 games out of 4th after 2 bad losses.

If you’re eager to see what this team can do once Donte and Randle are back you might want to look back not too far when both were playing — actually almost the entire season up until the last week (Randle) or two (Donte). How did this team do during that long span of time when both of them and the rest of our rotation players were healthy and playing every game? We were a slightly better than .500 team. That’s what we were with them and that’s what we are without them.

Yeah, I agree we were pretty bad offensively the first half of the season while they were both healthy. But since the beginning of January, we have had an offense that has really been effective...top 10 at least. Some will say the first half of the season is a better indicator of what this roster can do than the past 20 games, and that's a fair take. I'm on the other side...I think recent history is a better indicator than the feeling out period earlier in the season. And I don't think anyone can make a cogent argument that the return of Donte is going to make our offense worse. I think those who have recognized a resurgence in our offense since early January are justified in being intrigued about what adding a 40% 3-point shooter in Donte to the rotation can do to this already effective offense.

[DNatagal]

As seen on the Jimmy Butler rumor page on ESPN+


Butler to Denver in nine-player deal

Denver Nuggets get: Jimmy Butler, Josh Richardson

Miami Heat get: Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, Zeke Nnaji, Vlatko Cancar

Minnesota Timberwolves get: Russell Westbrook, Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith