Julius Randle shocked by Timberwolves-Knicks trade, but happy to ‘feel wanted’

MINNEAPOLIS — Julius Randle said he was shocked when he learned last weekend that the New York Knicks traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Randle had become an All-Star in his five seasons with the Knicks, and although he missed New York’s playoff run last season because of a shoulder injury, he was looking forward to giving it another shot this year.

But after a night’s sleep, Randle woke up Saturday morning excited about his new opportunity in Minnesota. He said he was invigorated to join another championship contender and do what he could to help add to the Wolves’ existing core.

“You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here,” Randle said Thursday. “At this point in my career, I’ve accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that.”

The Timberwolves introduced Randle alongside Donte DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop at a news conference, unveiling the trade return — along with an extra first-round draft pick — that Minnesota received from New York for Karl-Anthony Towns, their franchise cornerstone for the past nine years.

“It was a breath of fresh air,” Randle said about the trade. “I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned here over the past five years and help these guys out. My only thing here is I just want to help.

“I want to help [ Anthony Edwards]. I want to help Rudy [Gobert], Naz [Reid] — all those guys. I want to help win a championship, and that’s the only thing that matters.”

Wolves president Tim Connelly emphasized the basketball reasons for making the blockbuster trade on the eve of training camp — months removed from the franchise’s first appearance in the Western Conference finals in two decades — but acknowledged the limitations the new collective bargaining agreement put on building a team for the future.

“These guys bring special on-court skills and toughness,” Connelly said. “Depth is increasingly important as the CBA has evolved the last couple of years. We don’t trade a person like KAT lightly. We were very specific in what we’d take. The asking price is very high when you see what these guys accomplished last year.”

Randle is expected to slide into the starting lineup, according to Wolves coach Chris Finch, who coached Randle during the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans and raved about his approach and attitude during that time.

Randle returned the praise for his new coach, calling Finch “a genius” who always had him feeling extra prepared before games.

DiVincenzo will help bolster a Minnesota bench unit that already includes Reid, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year. The Wolves could also use the outside shooting of DiVincenzo, who shot 40% from 3-point range last season on 8.7 attempts per game, which should help a team that ranked 15th in made 3-pointers in 2023-24 and add some late-game lineup flexibility.

“That was a big part of why I’m so excited,” DiVincenzo said. “You can play so many different lineups. Small, big, it doesn’t matter.”

“We feel we could end up one of the deeper teams in the league,” Finch added.

Randle expressed comfort playing next to Gobert, comparing it to the situation he had in New York playing next to the Knicks’ big men, who have similar skills.

“I see it playing out great,” Randle said. “I played next to a center that is similar in Mitchell Robinson. It’s easy when you know you’ve got a big guy back there that has your back.”

The Wolves introduced their new players on a stage set up at the atrium inside the Target Center. Team employees watched from above, and a few players, including Gobert, showed up to watch the proceedings.

Connelly acknowledged shaking the roster up after the best season in franchise history was a big risk. But the talent on the stage made him comfortable doing so, especially when he considered how they would fit in with the team’s 23-year old superstar in Edwards.

“You make a trade after advancing to the Western Conference finals, it’s not done lightly,” Connelly said. “These guys come from winning environments. So, they appreciate what it looks like in the playoffs, they appreciate no skipped steps.

“The Western Conference is maybe the best it’s ever been. It’ll be hard for us to get to where we were last year, and beyond, hopefully, but their versatility and winning ways will be pretty easy complements to Ant.”