In the aftermath of his first game against the Knicks this season, Julius Randle spoke candidly about the trade that altered his career. Looking back, Randle said that it “sucks” not to know what he could have accomplished with the Knicks.
“It sucks,” Randle said, via The New York Post. “I guess we’ll never know what could’ve been. I think the more unfortunate part is everything was a build, a constant build — I feel like all our teams overachieved year after year. And that team last year was our best team. So then, we could’ve taken it to where we had a shot, where we could’ve taken it without all the injuries, including myself. I think that was the most unfortunate part.”
Randle, 30, is no stranger to swapping jerseys. Since being drafted in 2014, Randle has changed teams three times: in 2018 to the Pelicans, 2019 to the Knicks, and 2024 to the Timberwolves. But Randle has only ever been traded once, and that’s in his latest move to Minnesota.
With the Knicks, Randle thought he had found a permanent NBA home. Alongside Jalen Brunson and OG Anunboby, Randle helped the Knicks to prominence in the East and he developed a true love/hate relationship with the fans.
Randle’s five seasons with the Knicks were the best of his career. He averaged 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on 45.0% shooting. He played a crucial role in their recent string of success, including their run to the East Semi-Finals in 2023.
But before the start of the current season, Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were traded to the Timberwolves in a shocking blockbuster deal for Karl-Anthony Towns and things have been different ever since.
Currently 3rd in the East, the Knicks are looking pretty good with their new-look roster and don’t appear to have any regrets over their big trade. Towns is looking like a great fit and the roster has developed solid chemistry together.
For Randle, his transition hasn’t been nearly as smooth. With averages of 19.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game his stats are down across the board and the Timberwolves have been struggling to keep up in the West.
At 30 years old and on his fourth team now, Randle is eager to find his place and he’s ready to prove that he can win at the highest levels. With Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves should have more than enough talent to contest for a top spot in the West.
With more time, maybe the Timberwolves can get there but it could take some time for things to come together. If they can hold it down and give their new-look roster more time to mesh, Julius may end up sticking around to enjoy their success.
The Knicks gave him some time but they never saw it through to the end and Randle feels like they left unfinished business on the table.
The next game for Randle and the Wolves is tonight, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, at 9:00 PM at the Target Center. They play the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, January 20th, at 2:30 PM EST before a game against the Mavericks at American Airlines Center at 7:30 PM EST on January 22nd.
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