Is Chasson Randle Related to Julius Randle? All You Need to Know About ex-Knicks Star Signed by Timberwolves

Over the years, the NBA world has witnessed various unions on the court. But nothing can’t beat a good old sibling union on the court. If not on the same team, it’s a great sight to even witness them taking on each other. In the same vein, the league has come to a point where it is about to showcase the first father-son duo on the court. Amid this juncture, we have a player, Chasson Randle, who had an extensive NBA career, return to the league. The only question is, is he related to Julius Randle?

First of all, it has been a while since fans had a sight of the New York Knicks big man. The power forward suffered a shoulder injury last season and missed the majority of the games, recovering from it. Without him, the Big Apple side definitely made a statement, reaching the Conference semis. Moreover, in the upcoming season, Randle’s return is expected to stir up the East. While NY fans themselves wait for their big man to return, another Randle also looks to make a comeback.

To clear the air, these two players are not related. Notably, both players kicked off their careers almost at the same time. While Julius made a massive impact on the league, Chasson barely had his head above the water. After his last appearance for the Orlando Magic in 2020-21, the league has given him another opportunity. As per Hoops Hype, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the veteran point guard.

This contract will allow Chasson Randle a guaranteed one-year presence in the Minnesota side, participating either for its G-league affiliate, The Iowa Wolves, or the NBA team.

Chasson Randle – a speedy scan

The 31-year-old point guard was born in Rock Island, Illinois, to Willie and Gwen Randle. Just like every other basketball kid in the town, Randle picked up the ball very early. And to back it up, Willie constantly fed his son’s mind with one man’s fierce mentality: The Michael Jordan. If we could deviate a bit and look back at 29-year-old Julius Randle, he was born to Carolyn Kyles in Dallas, Texas. It’s at least safe to say that they aren’t blood siblings.

Looking back at Chasson’s college, he came into his collegiate career with an impeccable high school report card. Randle secured an average of 22.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in his senior year. Above all, he came up in the top 20 point guards in the country in multiple rankings, ultimately boosting expectations surrounding his college.

Despite offers from Illinois and Purdue, Chasson picked Stanford because of coach Johnny Dawkins’ personal attention. Playing all four years in the college, the rising star had an exciting upward graph. He finished his freshman year with 13.8 points, finding a spot in the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. While he had a similar run in his sophomore year, Randle pulled up socks in his Junior and Senior years, averaging 18.8, and 19.6 points respectively, fetching him a spot in All-Pac-12 First Team for two consecutive years.

A fall from the top – an underwhelming professional career

With the kind of accolades that Chasson Randle came out of college, he was expected to rule the league. Instead, the college star went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. Nevertheless, he was on and off the league when the franchises signed him for a limited contract and featured him in the Summer Leagues. Randle played his first NBA game for the New York Knicks in the 2016-17 season as a two-way player.

The point guard played 18 games until the Philadelphia 76ers acquired him in the same season for a 10-day contract. Similarly, in the next four years, the star kept shifting places. Speaking of his struggle, Randle said, “I slept good last night, but you know what? To be honest, I’ve been in this kinda in-and-out thing for a while, but I haven’t let it really get to me… I’m just here to do my job and play the cards that are dealt to me and go from there,” said in an interview with The Athletic.

However, after 2021, the guard took his base out of the US and played in plenty of international leagues. Before settling with AEK Athens, he played a season with the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL and also with Leones De Ponce in BSN. After four years, Randle has received another chance to try his luck at the NBA.

With this opportunity, Chasson Randle can slide his way into the Wolves’ mix. Last season, Anthony Edwards & Co. had a deep playoff run and fell short in the Conference Finals. Apart from Ant-Man, the team lacked a veteran guard. Even though the team already has Mike Conley Jr. and also has extended his contract, the team requires a slightly younger guard with experience. The 36-year-old Conley has well passed his prime and Randle could at least back him up in the second unit.

Do you think Chasson Randle would make his way into the Wolves playing mix? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.