Timberwolves ship Julius Randle, first-round pick to Nets ahead of draft

An NBA trade broke late Monday night … but not that one.

As much of the league is awaiting resolution with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a three-team trade has reportedly come through that sends forward Julius Randle from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Brooklyn Nets.

According to ESPN, Randle and Minnesota’s No. 28 selection in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft are headed to Brooklyn for the No. 33 pick — tantamount to a salary dump — while the Nets are shipping center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls.

By trading Randle, the Timberwolves are unloading his $33.3 million salary next season, leaving space for Minnesota to fill out its roster.

Guard Ayo Dosunmu, who emerged as an offensive force for the Timberwolves in the playoffs, is set to become an unrestricted free agent once the new league year begins, and the Timberwolves have already made an offer to retain their new star with a five-year contract after they acquired him before the February trading deadline.

Randle, who has spent the past two seasons in Minnesota after being traded from the New York Knicks as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster deal, also has a player option for 2027-28, worth $35.8 million. The 31-year-old averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 48.1% from the field in 79 games this past season.

The Nets, who have abundant cap space, add another veteran into their program, and the Bulls shore up their front court after they traded Nikola Vučević in February.

Dosunmu agrees to return to Minnesota on 5-year deal

Free agent guard Ayo Dosunmu intends to sign a five-year, $112 million contract to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a player option in the fifth season, ESPN reported late Monday night.