The Minnesota Timberwolves season came to an end on Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to a 124-94 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Just like last season, the Timberwolves were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals.
While many believe that Minnesota's window to compete for an NBA Championship is still open, the recent free agency update on Julius Randle questions if the Timberwolves can continue to compete for a title.
Julius Randle is likely to stay with the Timberwolves
ESPN senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst expects Julius Randle to stay in Minnesota this offseason, as he could be an unrestricted free agent. However, many believe that Randle played his final game for the Timberwolves last night and that other teams with more cap space are willing to offer the Minnesota star more money.
Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are also free agents for the Timberwolves this offseason, and keeping all three of them seems unlikely. Randle has a $30.9 million player option, and picking it up would keep him in Minnesota. That could mean losing another important piece but locking them into a core that they just learned wasn't good enough.
Julius Randle's impact
The Timberwolves acquired Julius Randle from the Karl Anthony Towns trade with the Knicks in October 2024. Randle came to Minnesota alongside Donte DiVincenzo and the trade had a positive effect on the Timberwolves depth throughout the regular season and the playoffs. Randle in the regular season averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the Timberwolves.
Randle also played a crucial role in the Timberwolves run to a second consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance, recording 11 20-plus point performances. Randle averaged 21.7 points per game in the postseason, which was second on the team behind Anthony Edwards' 25.3 points.
What will happen with Randle this offseason
Losing Randle could be a crushing blow to the Timberwolves, given the impact that he has had on the Timberwolves in one season. But keeping him means limited cap space this offseason, and could cost them another core piece or the opportunity to improve a roster that is already flawed. Randle is an extremely talented player and breaking through, with or without him, will be a challenge next year. But, unfortunately for the Timberwolves, the choice may ultimately be Randle's.