Randle on commerce to Wolves: 'I really feel needed right here'

MINNEAPOLIS — Julius Randle stated he was shocked when he realized final weekend that the New York Knicks traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Randle had grow to be an All-Star in his 5 seasons with the Knicks, and though he missed New York’s playoff run final season due to a shoulder damage, he was trying ahead to giving it one other shot this yr.

However after an evening’s sleep, Randle awoke Saturday morning enthusiastic about his new alternative in Minnesota. He stated he was invigorated to affix one other championship contender and do what he might to assist add to the present Wolves core.

“You need to be someplace the place you’re feeling needed. I really feel needed right here,” Randle stated Thursday. “At this level in my profession, I’ve achieved plenty of nice issues on a person stage, however I need to win a championship. It is a excellent alternative to try this.”

The Timberwolves launched Randle alongside Donte DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop at a information convention, unveiling the commerce return — together with an additional first-round draft choose — that Minnesota obtained from New York for Karl-Anthony Towns, their franchise cornerstone for the previous 9 years.

“It was a breath of contemporary air,” Randle stated in regards to the commerce. “I am excited to deliver every thing I’ve realized right here over the previous 5 years and assist these guys out. My solely factor right here is I simply need to assist.

“I need to assist [Anthony Edwards]. I need to assist Rudy [Gobert], Naz [Reid] — all these guys. I need to assist win a championship, and that is the one factor that issues.”

Wolves president Tim Connelly emphasised the basketball causes for making the blockbuster commerce on the eve of coaching camp — months faraway from the franchise’s first look within the Western Convention Finals in 20 years — however acknowledged the constraints the brand new collective bargaining settlement placed on constructing a group for the longer term.

“These guys deliver a particular on-court expertise and toughness,” Connelly stated. “Depth is more and more necessary because the CBA has developed the final couple of years. We do not commerce an individual like KAT possible. We have been very particular in what we might take. The asking value may be very excessive whenever you see what these guys achieved final yr.”

Randle is predicted to slip into the beginning lineup, in line with Wolves coach Chris Finch, who coached Randle through the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans and raved about his strategy and angle throughout that point.

Randle returned the reward for his new coach, calling Finch “a genius” who all the time had him feeling additional ready earlier than video games.

DiVincenzo will assist bolster a Minnesota bench unit that already consists of Reid, the reigning Sixth Man of the Yr. The Wolves might additionally use the skin capturing of DiVincenzo, who shot 40% from 3-point vary final season on 8.7 makes an attempt per recreation, which ought to assist a group that ranked fifteenth in made three-pointers in 2023-24 and add some late-game lineup flexibility.

“That was an enormous a part of why I am so excited,” DiVincenzo stated. “You possibly can play so many alternative lineups. Small, large, it would not matter.”

“We really feel we might find yourself one of many deeper groups within the league,” Finch added.

Randle expressed consolation taking part in subsequent to Gobert, evaluating it to the scenario he had in New York taking part in subsequent to the Knicks’ large males with related expertise.

“I see it taking part in out nice,” Randle stated. “I performed subsequent to a middle that’s related in Mitchell Robinson. It is easy when you realize you’ve got acquired an enormous man again there that has your again.”

The Wolves launched their new gamers on a stage setup on the atrium contained in the Goal Middle. Staff workers watched from above and some gamers, together with Gobert, confirmed as much as watch the proceedings.

Connelly acknowledged shaking the roster up after the perfect season in franchise historical past was an enormous danger. However the expertise on the stage made him comfy doing so, particularly when he thought of how they would slot in with the group’s 23-year previous famous person in Edwards.

“You make a commerce after advancing to the Western Convention Finals, it isn’t finished frivolously,” Connelly stated. “These guys come from successful environments. So, they admire what it appears like within the playoffs, they admire no skipped steps.

“The Western Convention is possibly the perfect it is ever been. It’s going to be exhausting for us to get to the place we have been final yr and past hopefully, however their versatility and successful methods will probably be fairly simple enhances to Ant.”