Julius Randle Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Julius Randle Ready To Return After 13-Game Absence

March 2nd, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle plans to return on Sunday at Phoenix after missing 13 games with a right groin strain, sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

It’s a much-needed boost for Minnesota, which is locked in a tight race for playoff positioning in the West. The Wolves went 5-8 during Randle’s absence and have fallen into a tie for ninth place at 32-29.

Randle, who hasn’t played since January 30, was acquired from the Knicks in early October in a controversial trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The 30-year-old big man has been a solid addition in his first season with Minnesota, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists through 48 games while shooting 47% from the field and 32.1% from three-point range.

There has been an adjustment process for Randle while learning to play alongside Rudy Gobert, but Towns went through the same experience after Gobert was acquired from Utah.

Randle has been able to bounce back from the shoulder injury that limited him to 46 games in 2023/24 and ended his season early. Before the groin issue, he hadn’t missed a game since coming to Minnesota.

Randle’s future with the Wolves beyond this season remains uncertain, as he holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26. There was some trade chatter leading up to last month’s deadline, but the Wolves decided to hold onto him and deal with the contract issue this summer.

Randle can either decline the option and test free agency, exercise it and commit to one more season in Minnesota, or try to parlay it into a long-term contract. Regardless of his decision, it will have a major impact on the Wolves’ offseason and the future of the franchise.

Gobert, who has been sidelined since February 12 with a back issue, is also expected to return soon as the Wolves get healthier for the stretch drive.

Northwest Notes: Nnaji, DiVincenzo, Clark, Avdija

February 26th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Big man Zeke Nnaji has largely been outside of the Nuggets‘ rotation in 2024/25. However, a knee injury to Peyton Watson has opened up minutes at backup power forward, and Nnaji has been performing well of late, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link).

“This is probably the first time in a while that he has an opportunity to play big minutes, important minutes and a lot of minutes. He’s good,” Nikola Jokic said of Nnaji. “He’s decisive. When he’s open, he shoots. He’s aggressive. He’s attacking the boards. He’s still probably trying to kind of figure it out, but I think he’s doing a really good job.”

Nnaji, 24, was involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline earlier this month in part because he has fifth-highest salary on the team. General manager Calvin Booth later confirmed that Nnaji came up in trade talks, but since he was rarely playing, his long-term contract was almost certainly viewed as a negative asset.

With Watson sidelined and Nnaji playing his preferred position, he has averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.4 blocks on .566/.368/.700 shooting over the past 10 games (21.4 minutes per contest). Would Michael Malone be comfortable turning to Nnaji for spot minutes if he’s needed in the postseason?

“Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, just continue to be present,” Malone said when asked if there’s a path to playoff minutes. “Continue to be in the moment. And I think Zeke’s done that. Ever since Peyton Watson went out, Zeke’s been called upon. … He’s stayed ready. He’s gone out there and done his job. And he’s shown that he belongs out there. So I have all the confidence in the world if I have to call upon Zeke Nnaji at any point the remainder of this season, I feel really confident about doing that. And so do his teammates. I think that’s even more important.”

Here’s more from the Northwest:

Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo has been out since Jan. 15 due to a left great toe sprain, but he has a chance to return to action soon. He’s officially listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest at the Lakers, the Wolves announced (via Twitter). ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that both DiVincenzo and Julius Randle (right groin strain) could return at some point this week. Randle will be out Thursday, with two additional games (at Utah on Friday, at Phoenix on Sunday) scheduled on Minnesota’s road trip.
Jaylen Clark will reportedly be converted from a two-way contract to a standard deal, with Bones Hyland taking Clark’s old two-way spot. Asked about his impending promotion on Wednesday, the Timberwolves guard said he was thrilled by the news, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link). “I love being in Minnesota, I’m excited,” Clark said. “It feels like I’m officially a part of everything. I can play in the playoffs. It’s been cool. The journey has been long, but it’s been well worthwhile.”
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija sustained a quad injury in the first half of Wednesday’s win in Washington. After initially being listed as questionable to return, he was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link). It’s unclear if the injury will cause Avdija to miss additional time, but hopefully it’s good news that he wasn’t immediately ruled out.

Wolves Rumors: Durant, Randle, Reid, Alexander-Walker

February 24th, 2025 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Confirming earlier reporting that said the Timberwolves were among the teams who inquired on Kevin Durant prior to the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reports that Minnesota was calling potential trade partners in the days leading up to the deadline to explore the possibility of getting below the second tax apron in order to aggregate salaries for the Suns star.

While there was little – if any – “tangible urgency” in Minnesota for major in-season changes to the roster, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to explore the idea of acquiring Durant, according to Fischer, who notes that the veteran executive has a history of operating aggressively on the trade market.

Although nothing came of the Wolves’ pursuit of Durant this month, Fischer wonders if it was connected at all to the impending ownership takeover by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and whether the team might renew its pursuit of Durant during the offseason if and when Lore and Rodriguez have officially assumed control of the franchise.

Here’s more from Fischer on the Wolves:

Multiple cap strategists from rival teams have suggested to Fischer that it might be in Julius Randle‘s best interest to exercise the $30.9MM player option he holds for the 2025/26 season. Randle, who has battled injuries over the past two seasons and has seen his production slip in Minnesota, seems unlikely to match that first-year salary on the open market if he opts for free agency.
Those same camp strategists consider it likely that Naz Reid will turn down his own $15MM player option this offseason in search of a more lucrative longer-term deal, says Fischer. However, as Fischer writes, teams like Cleveland, Dallas, and San Antonio – who were interested in Reid the last time he neared free agency – may be less inclined to pursue him this time around. The Cavaliers and Mavericks have since added other players to their respective frontcourts, while the Spurs – who were hoping in 2023 to add a floor-spacing center to play alongside Victor Wembanyama – have since begun playing Wembanyama at the five instead.
There’s an expectation that the Wolves and Reid will likely continue their relationship beyond this season, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker‘s future in Minnesota is more uncertain, Fischer writes. Since being traded to the Wolves in 2023, Alexander-Walker has emerged as an excellent point-of-attack defender who can hit outside shots (he has a .393 3PT% as a Timberwolf). Some league executives believe his next contract could get as high as $20MM per year, according to Fischer, which could make life difficult for a Minnesota team that already has plenty of sizable contracts on its books.

Timberwolves’ Randle, DiVincenzo Could Return During Road Trip

February 23rd, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Timberwolves are embarking on a four-game road tilt that tips off Monday in Oklahoma City and wraps up on Sunday against Phoenix.

Shams Charania of ESPN reports (Twitter video link) that Minnesota could be getting some reinforcements during that stretch, with starting forward Julius Randle and starting point guard Donte DiVincenzo primed to return from long-term injuries.

Randle has been on the shelf with a groin injury since January 30. As Charania notes, the Timberwolves had gone 10-4 during their last 14 contests with Randle available, including a five-game win streak.

Randle, 30, has struggled somewhat to adjust to his new environs during his first season with Minnesota. In 48 healthy contests, the 6’9″ forward is averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

DiVincenzo has been sidelined since January 15 due to a toe ailment. The Villanova alum was elevated to the starting lineup in his last six games before his injury absence and averaged 17.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest during that stretch.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since February 12 with a back injury and will not be back during this road trip.

Minnesota’s injury woes and general chemistry issues have led the club to a middling 31-26 record on the year so far, good for just the West’s No. 7 seed.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Braun, Clingan, Randle, DiVincenzo

February 20th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook hasn’t played in February, having missed seven games before the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury. As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, that forced Christian Braun into the starting lineup, where he immediately played some of the best basketball of his career.

In Westbrook’s absence, Braun averaged 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 59% from the field. However, with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon unlikely to move to the second unit, it makes for a difficult decision with the starting lineup.

Westbrooks has started 27 of his 48 outings in 2024/25, averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in total. When Gordon missed time with injury earlier this season, Westbrook and Braun started together. However, that is seemingly not going to be the case going forward, as Braun started alongside Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon for Thursday’s game.

“All I’ll say is that it’s great to have options,” coach Michael Malone said. “We have a healthy team, and obviously, Russell Westbrook’s done great things for us. Christian Braun, this last eight-game stretch, is playing just incredible basketball. And so people say, ‘Oh, that’s a tough decision.’ I look at it the opposite way. I’m really fortunate to have a tough decision to make where you have quality players that have really impacted winning. And that’s what it comes down to. It’s never about one player. It’s about what’s best for our team.”

In a separate piece, The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler writes that Braun starting is the correct decision, pointing to his impressive net rating in trios alongside Jokic and Murray.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets have placed no restrictions on Porter, Gordon or Westbrook coming out of the All-Star break, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette tweets. Porter had been dealing with a hamstring injury while Gordon was putting up with a calf issue.
With Deandre Ayton out for at least three more weeks due to a calf strain, Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan is slated for the starting job, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes. Clingan said he’s “definitely ready” for a larger role. “I think this is going to be a really awesome stretch for him just to grow up and learn and play against starting centers,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “But more importantly, for him to continue to man that glass. Be a beast on the glass. Protect our rim. And he’s doing a much better job of catching and finishing and also play-making when he needs to.”
Timberwolves offseason acquisitions Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have both been dealing with injuries, but seem to be getting at least somewhat closer to a return. Randle has been dealing with a groin injury and missed the Wolves’ eight games leading into the break. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link), he was recently cleared for five-on-five practices. As for DiVincenzo, Bontemps adds that he’s now able to participate in non-basketball activities. DiVincenzo hasn’t played since Jan. 15 because of a toe injury.

And-Ones: 2025 FAs, College Jobs, MCW, WNBA, More

February 20th, 2025 at 7:31am CST by Luke Adams

A series of contract extensions have depleted the star-level talent in the NBA’s 2025 free agent class, but there will still be some notable names to watch this summer, as Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) detail.

Both Pincus and Marks have longtime NBA stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden atop their lists of 2025 free agents, with Marks positing that no player will have more leverage this offseason than Irving, given how badly the Mavericks need to retain the veteran point guard following the trade of Luka Doncic.

After James, Irving, and Harden, who have combined for 41 career All-Star appearances, the next tier of free agents consists of players like Myles Turner, Fred VanVleet, Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, and Timberwolves power forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Interestingly, Pincus has Reid ranked ahead of the three-time All-Star he backs up, placing Reid at No. 5 and Randle at No. 7 in his early FA rankings.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As is typical at this time of year, a number of NBA coaches and executives are receiving interest for jobs at the college basketball level, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer mentions Hornets executive Buzz Peterson and veteran player agent Jim Tanner as possible candidates for UNC’s general manager job and says Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Suns assistant David Fizdale, and Bucks assistant Dave Joerger are among the names to watch for the University of Miami’s head coaching position. Fischer adds that Kings assistant Luke Loucks has been linked to Florida State’s head coaching opening.
Former NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is involved in a bid to bring an WNBA expansion franchise to Boston, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With expansion teams lined up for San Francisco, Portland, Toronto, and Cleveland, the WNBA will have 16 clubs by 2028, so it’s unclear whether or not the league will be looking to expand beyond that number right away.
Passing along the results of a player poll from All-Star weekend, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes that the 14 respondents were unanimously against the idea of 10-minute quarters floated last month by commissioner Adam Silver. However, 12 of those 14 players liked the new All-Star tournament format.
The Lakers‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates completed a trade on Wednesday, with the South Bay Lakers acquiring forward Cole Swider from the Motor City Cruise in exchange for Chris Silva‘s returning rights and a 2025 first-round pick, per a press release. Silva is currently playing overseas, but Swider has been active in the G League and will begin suiting up for South Bay.

Injury Updates: Randle, Embiid, Sexton, Barrett

February 5th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who has missed the past two games after injuring his groin last Thursday vs. the Jazz, underwent an MRI and has been diagnosed with a right adductor strain, the team announced today in a press release. He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks, according to the Wolves.

A multi-week absence had been anticipated for Randle after head coach Chris Finch told reporters over the weekend that he expected to be without the forward “for the near future.”

Randle, who was sent from New York to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster right before training camp, has had a solid first season in Minnesota, averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 32.6 minutes per game across 48 contests, with a .470/.321/.811 shooting line.

There has been some speculation that Randle, who holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26, could emerge as a trade candidate prior to the February 6 deadline, but it has always seemed more likely that Minnesota would postpone a decision on his future until the summer rather than shaking up the roster again during the season.

During Randle’s absence, Naz Reid has stepped into the lineup as the Wolves’ starting power forward. The team has dropped both games Reid started, but he had a big night on Monday, putting up 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting in a two-point loss to Sacramento.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After making his return from a month-long injury absence on Tuesday, Sixers center Joel Embiid will, predictably, be held out of the second end of the club’s back-to-back set on Wednesday vs. Miami, per head coach Nick Nurse (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN). Embiid had a strong first game back in a two-point win over Dallas, racking up 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
The Jazz announced on Tuesday (via Twitter) that Collin Sexton has been diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. While X-rays on the injury were negative, the veteran guard will miss some time — he’ll be reevaluated in one week, according to the club.
Raptors forward RJ Barrett entered the NBA’s concussion protocol on Wednesday and missed a matchup with his former team, the Knicks, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Barrett stayed in Sunday’s game after hitting his head on the court. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), he was evaluated by the team’s medical staff on court after hitting his head, after Sunday’s game, and again on Monday, but didn’t exhibit concussion symptoms until Monday night.

Julius Randle To Be Sidelined ‘For The Near Future’

February 1st, 2025 at 6:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

A right groin strain will keep Timberwolves forward Julius Randle out of action “for the near future,” coach Chris Finch said in a session with reporters before tonight’s game (Twitter link from Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic).

While that’s a vague assessment, it sounds like the Wolves may be reluctant to let Randle play again before the All-Star break, which is less than two weeks away. Minnesota has eight games remaining before the break, starting with tonight’s contest against Washington.

Finch added that the training staff needs to get a second opinion on some medical imaging before setting a timeline for Randle to resume playing, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. However, Finch indicated that the veteran forward is expected to be sidelined for more than just a few days.

Randle had to leave Thursday’s game at Utah in the second quarter when he experienced soreness in his right groin area, Hine writes in a full game story. He played a little over 10 minutes and wasn’t able to return.

Randle’s health is a legitimate concern after the shoulder separation that caused him to sit out the second half of last season with the Knicks.

He has been remarkably durable in his first year with Minnesota, as tonight marks his first missed game. The three-time All-Star has played a major role in the team’s recent resurgence and is averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists through 48 games.

In Randle’s absence, Naz Reid will make his first start of the season and will probably remain in the starting lineup until Randle is able to return.

Injury Notes: Nets, Quickley, Craig, Wolves, Davis

January 31st, 2025 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The banged-up Nets, who have seven players listed as out for Saturday’s matchup with Houston, provided updates on a handful of their injured regulars on Friday, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype relays (via Twitter).

Guard Cam Thomas, who has been unavailable since January 2 due to a left hamstring strain, is expected to make his return shortly after February’s All-Star break, per the Nets. Big man Noah Clowney will also likely remain on the shelf through the All-Star break after being diagnosed with a left ankle sprain.

Forward Cameron Johnson, meanwhile, is still day-to-day with the right ankle sprain that has cost him the past four games. He won’t play on Saturday.

The injury news in Brooklyn isn’t all bad. After leaving Wednesday’s game with left hamstring tightness, center Day’Ron Sharpe isn’t on the injury report for Saturday. Neither is forward Trendon Watford, who made his return on Wednesday after missing 21 consecutive contests while recovering from a left hamstring strain.

“It was good,” Watford said of his first game back (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “I’m just glad to be back out there with the guys, back playing basketball. Missing 21 games, I’ve been missing it ever since I left the game in Cleveland. It was great to be back.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley will be active on Friday vs. the Bulls after missing eight games due to a right hip strain, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. It was the third extended injury absence of 2024/25 for Quickley, who is appearing in just his 10th game of the season and will be on a minutes restriction against Chicago, Lewenberg adds.
Bulls wing Torrey Craig will be inactive for a 15th consecutive game on Friday due to a right ankle sprain, but he appears to be nearing a return — he participated in shootaround today, per head coach Billy Donovan (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago).
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle will miss his first game of the season on Saturday, having been ruled out vs. Washington due to a right groin strain, according to the team (Twitter link). However, Minnesota did pass along more positive injury news, announcing that rookie Terrence Shannon has been cleared for full-contact 5-on-5 activities and is being listed as questionable to play on Saturday (Twitter link). Shannon, who sustained a right mid-foot sprain while on a G League assignment, last saw the court for the NBA club on December 23.
According to Lakers head coach J.J. Redick, the team isn’t expecting an extended absence for Anthony Davis, who was ruled out for at least a week due to an abdominal strain. Redick is hopeful Davis will be back in action at some point next week, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter link).

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Asking Price, Warriors, Suns, Randle

January 28th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Heat have lowered their asking price in trade talks for Jimmy Butler as they look to get a deal done ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links) hears that the team has begun to show more willingness to consider taking on salary beyond 2025/26 as long as the contract isn’t “outrageous.”

Jackson’s report comes on the heels of Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports stating that the Warriors have reentered the mix for Butler now that Miami has dropped its asking price. Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed during a SportsCenter appearance on Tuesday (YouTube link) that Golden State has been back in touch with the Heat about Butler.

Jackson points specifically to Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, which includes a $30.2MM player option for 2026/27, as one that the Heat might not be totally opposed to taking on. By comparison, Bradley Beal, who is said to be of zero interest to the Heat, has a $57.1MM player option for ’26/27, along with the no-trade clause that he’s reportedly not interested in giving up if dealt.

While the Heat are loosening their requirements a little, their preference remains to acquire shorter-term deals that expire as soon as possible, Jackson writes. According to Jackson, for each extra year of salary the Heat take on, they want a “carrot” such as a draft pick.

Here’s more on the Butler situation:

The Suns‘ trade with Utah that saw them split their 2031 first-round pick into three less valuable first-rounders wasn’t specifically about trying to acquire Butler, according to plugged-in Phoenix-area radio host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro says the Suns expect to be a good team in 2031 and felt like giving up that pick was a worthwhile risk in order to gain three separate assets that could be used to upgrade the roster.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggests keeping an eye on the Timberwolves in the event of a multi-team Butler blockbuster. As Begley explains, the Heat were among the teams that expressed interest in trading for Julius Randle during the 2024 offseason and have kept tabs on the forward following his trade to Minnesota. Randle could become a free agent as early as this summer – he holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26 – which makes his contract a fit for Miami. Begley adds that the Heat and Timberwolves have been in touch, though he isn’t sure if there are any active talks between the two teams.
As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, the Heat pulled out an “invigorating” double-overtime win over Orlando in the first game of Butler’s latest suspension on Monday. Meanwhile, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes a closer look at what life without Butler looks like on the court for the Heat, observing that the team has begun to lean more heavily on bigger lineups.