The Brooklyn Nets will acquire three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team deal, Yankee Scores reports.
The deal will send center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, sources told ESPN.
Randle and the Wolves’ No. 28 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft will go to Brooklyn, which will send its No. 33 pick to Minnesota, sources told ESPN.
The Bulls are sending forward Mo Gueye to the Timberwolves in their portion of the trade, sources told ESPN’s Jamal Collier.
The deal includes two of the teams with the most salary cap space heading into free agency – Brooklyn and Chicago. The Nets are now on the hook for Randle’s $33.3 million salary next season; the Bulls get Claxton’s $23.3 million.
The Wolves, in the wake of the deal, have more flexibility, and are planning to sign forward Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million deal with a player option in the fifth season, sources told Charania.
At 26, Dosunmu was an unrestricted free agent and an immediate fit for the Wolves after they picked him up from Chicago at the trade deadline in February, putting up 19.2 points on 50% shooting (42.5% from 3), 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the postseason, keeping Minnesota competitive while superstar Anthony Edwards worked through a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise in the first round against the Denver Nuggets.
Randle, 31, returns to the Big Apple after five seasons with the New York Knicks before he and Donte DiVincenzo were traded to the Wolves in a deal for Karl-Anthony Towns in October 2024. Randle spent two seasons with Minnesota and helped the Wolves reach three playoff series, but he struggled in a second-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs last month, averaging 12.8 points on 34% shooting (19% from 3) in the series, which went six games.
Randle had a solid regular season, one in which he was one of 10 players to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists while appearing in 79 games – his most in a season since 2017-18.
