It was unclear how Julius Randle would fit in with the Nova Knicks – his old-school, bullying style of play wasn’t a perfect fit for these guys.
While we may also wonder exactly how he fits in next to Rudy Gobert while Antony Edwards wants to drive to the rim, Randle is excited to find out. During his introductory press conference after being traded for Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster deal between contendersRandle called the trade a “breath of fresh air” (quotes via Jamal Collier of ESPN).
“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…
“It was a breath of fresh air,” Randle said of the trade. “I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned here over the last five years and help these guys. My only thing here is I just want to help.”
Randle put as positive a spin on this as possible – his family, his wife in particularseems happy with the trade – although how long Randle stays in Minnesota is up for debate as this deal was more about Timberwolves money.
While Minnesota made this trade for financial reasons – the Timberwolves could save up to $26 million in salary and luxury taxes this season and much more depending on Randle’s future contract – there is plenty of people in the league offices who think Minnesota has won the case now too. The arrival of Donte DiVincenzo in the trade was a big part of that perception, he brings needed shooting and depth to Minnesota.
That leaves a lot of work for coach Chris Finch to make everything fit in Minnesota, but a season ago we were saying the same thing about how Towns and Gobert were going to fit, and Finch got it , then Minnesota won 56 games. and reached the Western Conference Finals. Randle is excited to see if he can help them take another step forward this season, and his positive attitude is a great place to start.
