Last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Julius Randle from the New York Knicks. In his first year in Minnesota, Randle has helped elevate the team offensively and is a big part of their success. Entering the final week of the regular season, the Timberwolves are 46-32 and own the No. 7 seed in the West. Furthermore, they are just two games behind the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers.
Randle has a $30.9 million player option for next season. This is causing uncertainty about his future in Minnesota. However, the former Knicks forward recently provided some clarity on the situation (YouTube link).
Q: You maybe haven’t given much thought to this, given you’re in the season, but as you look towards the future—where you’re going to be next—you feel like you could be in Minnesota for the foreseeable future? Would you want to keep your roots here now that you’re here?
JULIUS RANDLE: Yeah, I would love to. I mean, top to bottom, the organization has been amazing. I love playing with these guys on this team. The city—my family’s adjusting really well. We love the neighborhood we live in. We love our house. My kids are loving Minnesota—and the cold, somewhat—but the snow days, going out there, being able to sled and all that different type of stuff. And from a basketball standpoint, I love playing here. I love playing for coach. Tim, all those guys have been amazing. A-Rod—the support they’ve shown has been amazing as well. So, you know, I love it here.
In his first season in Minnesota, Randle is averaging 18.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Additionally, he is shooting 48% from the field.
Julius Randle Speaks On Future With Minnesota Timberwolves
Julius Randle Reveals How He Has Developed This Season
Randle’s counting numbers are down compared to his stats in New York. However, he still provides a lot of value on the court. Recently, Randle spoke about not emphasizing scoring as much as in previous years. Additionally, he spoke about being more of a team player (YouTube link).
“Oh, it’s extremely different—way different. But it’s all about winning. Whatever this team needs, if this is the best version that helps us win, then I want to do that every single night to get as many wins as possible and make the biggest run we can. Like I said, I’m not really worried about scoring the ball. I know I can score—I’ve had multiple years of scoring at a high level. That’s not what I’m worried about. What matters is our energy, cohesiveness, and togetherness. This is the best we’ve felt all year, so I just want to keep building on that and help in whatever way I can.”
The Last Word
This summer, Randle’s situation will be worth monitoring. As it stands, it seems more likely he will remain in Minnesota than not. However, nothing is certain, and a lot of crazier things have happened around the league.
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