Three weeks ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves made a surprise trade, acquiring three-time NBA All-Star Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Keita Bates-Diop for longtime franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns in a three-team deal with the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets.

Not many expected the Timberwolves to make a trade like this one, especially after their “twin towers” duo of the 7’0 Towns and 7’1 Rudy Gobert played a crucial role in their Western Conference Semifinal series win versus the then-reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

Towns was drafted first overall by Minnesota in the 2015 NBA Draft and developed into arguably the best shooting big man in the league with a career average of 22.9 points on 52/40/84 (Field Goal/Three-point/Free Throw) shooting splits.

The move signals that the Timberwolves are now truly 23-year-old Anthony Edwards’ team, as they offloaded the 28-year-old Towns’ escalating contract, which includes a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season. Meanwhile, Randle’s contract is only guaranteed through this season, and he is likely to decline his $30 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, given the expected salary increases under the NBA’s new 11-year, $76 billion TV deal.

On the court, Randle’s fit seems clunkier than that of Towns whose elite perimeter shooting was crucial in spacing the floor for them. Though the 6’8 Randle is four inches shorter than Towns, he tends to spend more of his time on offense within the arc. He prefers mid range shots and drives to the basket, a trend that is unsurprising given his below average three-point shooting (31.1% in 46 games last season). 

This creates a challenge for Minnesota head coach Chris Finch, as starting center Gobert also plays near the basket. Randle’s lack of a reliable three-point shot means that he will not easily slot into the same spots where Towns excelled. Reserve big man Naz Reid, who shot 41.4% from three last season, may be a better fit alongside either Randle or Gobert, potentially leading to an expanded role for the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Ultimately, staggering the minutes of Randle and Gobert could be the Timberwolves’ best solution this season.

Randle does have some advantages over Towns, the most notable of which is his passing acumen. In his last four seasons with the Knicks, he averaged at least four assists per game. This gives Finch more options for when Minnesota’s offense stagnates and also lightens the playmaking load of Edwards and 37-year-old starting point guard Mike Conley.

In small ball line-ups sans Gobert, Randle can push the pace as a ball-handling center, especially if he is surrounded by shooters such as DiVincenzo, Josh Minott, and Joe Ingles. This adds a necessary new dimension to their team, especially now that opposing defenses will zero in on slowing down Edwards.

It will be intriguing to see how Finch and his staff manage the Timberwolves’ Randle experiment, especially since this could be a one-year stint given his contract situation. There is definite upside to the move, as it provides an opportunity to improve on an offense that was just 17th in the league last season in terms of offensive rating.

With Edwards leading the way, Minnesota sees itself as a legitimate championship contender for many years to come. Even if the Randle gamble does not pay off, the team has still positioned itself for future cap flexibility with this trade, keeping their options open in the years ahead as Edwards enters his prime.