“Blood, Sweat, and Tears”: Julius Randle Opens Up About “Emotional” Knicks Exit After Blockbuster Timberwolves Move

Some goodbyes hit harder than others. Julius Randle knows the feeling all too well. After spending five years with the New York Knicks, Julius Randle was to lead them into another season. But just days before training camp, the Knicks traded the 3x NBA All-Star to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The blockbuster move sent shockwaves through the league, leaving fans stunned. Instead of supporting Jalen Brunson, Randle will team up with rising star Anthony Edwards.

Well, it might not be too difficult to guess that Black Pau was as shocked as us. However, he maintained silence following the sudden shift. But now that he’ll be wearing a new jersey for the first time in 5 years, Julius Randle’s feelings come out in the open. And this is exactly what the 29-year-old did. On Thursday, the center and a few fresh faces of Minnesota met with the media for the first time since the transaction.

Randle shared his reaction to the trade. It sounded pretty much the same as what we felt- surprised. At the same time, he also expressed his excitement about starting a new journey with the Timberwolves. “It was a lot of emotion,” Julius Randle said. “You spend a lot of time living in one place, you know, New York, going there five years ago… A lot of blood, sweat, and tears put into that organization and uniform. Initially, it’s always going to be a shock.” 

The NBA All-Star said: “Afterwards I woke up the next morning and I was really, really excited,” Randle continued. “It was a breath of fresh air. I’m excited to bring everything that I learned here over the past five years and help these guys out.”

So, multiple emotions have been playing at the same time. On one side, there’s the shock of feeling the team that has been his home for the last five years. And on the other hand, the excitement to play for Minnesota overpowers all odds.

Julius Randle will take over Karl-Anthony Towns‘ place and support Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert to bring their most-awaited championship trophy. He is entering the final year of a four-year, $117 million deal with the Knicks that comes with a $31 million player option for the 2025-26 season. Moreover, we can expect GM, Matt Lloyd, to keep the veteran for the long term. This is because Randle can undoubtedly come in and assist the largely intact core that took the franchise to its first Western Conference Finals in decades.

Julius Randle might be up for a contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Besides being cheerful, Julius Randle is hoping to play more for the Wolves. He made it clear on Thursday that he is open to signing with the Timberwolves long-term. “Just being around here and being around the environment, Tim (Connelly), (coach Chris) Finch, all those guys, like that stuff is important,” Randle said. “They made me feel more than at home being here.”

Moreover, “You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here and everybody has embraced me,” Julius Randle added. He also mentioned: “Tim has been great. I played for Finch. I really believe in Finch. Ultimately, yeah, I do want to be here.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves face a key decision with Julius Randle’s potential extension. Trading Karl-Anthony Towns might have been a cost-saving move, and letting Randle’s contract expire could offer flexibility to extend younger players like Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Yes, that is promising news.

However, Randle is a three-time All-Star with career averages of 19.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, which one may say could be tough to replace.

How different will his life be here on the T-wolves is an intriguing topic. The 29YO knows his way around the ball and knows how to frustrate the opponent. Therefore, it will be a treat to the eyes to watch him recreate his Knicks magic for the Wolves from the next season onwards.