The San Antonio Spurs have established their caliber as a Playoff team this season. They’re just outside the West Playoff bubble with a 19-20 record, but Victor Wembanyama has already made them heaps more competitive than they were last season. The team needs to continue building toward a winning franchise, with a potential perfect match on the market this season.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are somehow on a similar level as the Spurs with a 21-19 record. They have regressed after making the Western Conference Finals, with their trade for Julius Randle backfiring as Karl-Anthony Towns is excelling on the New York Knicks. The Wolves can improve the balance of their roster while acquiring a draft asset in a potential trade with the Spurs.
Trade Details
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Julius Randle ($33.0 million), Joe Ingles ($2.0 million), Josh Minott ($2.0 million)
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Keldon Johnson ($19.0 million), Harrison Barnes ($18.0 million), Sidy Cissoko ($1.8 million), 2025 First-Round Pick (CHI)
This deal splits up Randle into two rotational contributors for the Timberwolves, giving them frontcourt reinforcements with Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes. It allows them to move Naz Reid into the starting five while starting Barnes alongside Jaden McDaniels, while Keldon comes off the bench. The Spurs land a proven co-star for Wembanyama, with Randle’s skillset looking better within the Spurs system.
The Spurs Load Up For A Playoff Run
The Spurs were deliberate this summer in their moves for Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, adding veteran win-now players next to the developing Wembanyama. They need to evolve that plan by adding a high-level contributor, using the $18 million contract they gave Barnes in the summer. There aren’t many players they can target to make a huge impact that can be affordable, with Randle being the best solution.
Julius Randle is averaging 19.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season. His skillset has been useful for the Timberwolves but it has just upset the balance of the roster as an ineffective Towns replacement. It’d work far better with the Spurs as he’d have a switchable Defensive Player of the Year behind him instead of Rudy Gobert with his skillset in the post being useful given Wembanyama’s perimeter tendencies.
Randle will give the Spurs a veteran scoring option when Wembanyama inevitably faces defenses geared to stop him. Randle’s style is herky-jerky and hard to predict, so it will create a dynamic offensive option for the Spurs to exploit. He’s the ideal frontcourt partner for someone like Wembanyama, willing to do the gritty work if needed to aid the 7’4″ center.
The Timberwolves Continue Adjusting Their Roster
The Timberwolves made a financial decision when they moved on from Towns in the summer, as the team was in second-apron hell trying to accommodate his supermax contract deal. They moved on to get cheaper and maintain competitiveness, but neither Julius Randle nor Donte DiVincenzo have been the ideal fit they wanted.
Instead of looking to replace Towns’ production, the Wolves should distribute it among the roster by adding depth pieces while managing the team’s overall salary situation better. Harrison Barnes is averaging 11.1 points and 3.8 rebounds as a multi-positional frontcourt player while Keldon Johnson is averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in a bench forward role.
Both players are material downgrades compared to Randle’s ability but make the Wolves roster deeper and more versatile. It reduces the crowd in the paint alongside Rudy Gobert, with Barnes a perimeter shot-maker while Johnson provides downhill post-play instead of traditional post-touches. They can absorb roles next to Edwards and create a decent forward trio alongside Jaden McDaniels as well.
A Deal That Could Be Win-Win
The Timberwolves should be happy with Randle’s solid production on the franchise but everyone watching them play can tell there’s a great deal of awkwardness on the court. He was never supposed to be a long-term replacement for Towns, but the team would’ve hoped to at least be a top-six team in the West after almost grabbing the No. 1 seed last season.
Barnes and Johnson make them deeper and give them what they need in terms of perimeter versatility. Meanwhile, the Spurs add a three-level scorer like Randle to partner Wembanyama in the team’s frontcourt. Randle is a more physical player and can absorb that load from the finesse-oriented Wembanyama. The lack of competing offensive options also guarantees he’s in a highlighter role with an elite point guard at the helm.
Both teams take aggressive steps towards making the 2025 Playoffs. Given they’re directly competing against each other, it could be a tricky proposition. But it should be a conversation as it could result in two happy franchises that eventually become Playoff opponents.
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