Wolves Fans React to a Crazy Week of Trades

To say it has been a shocking week for the Minnesota Timberwolves would be selling it incredibly short.

Heading into the NBA Draft, this offseason had all the makings of being a fairly quiet one for Minnesota. The Wolves were sitting on the 28th overall pick in the first round, the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors appeared to be drifting toward destinations like Miami or Boston, and there wasn’t much to suggest that Tim Connelly was preparing to light a match under the roster.

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Then, in classic NBA fashion, everything happened at once.

Shortly before the draft, news broke that Julius Randle was headed to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team trade involving the Chicago Bulls. The move itself wasn’t necessarily the surprise. After Randle’s disappointing postseason, there had been growing consensus throughout Wolves Nation that Minnesota needed to explore moving him. The surprising part wasn’t that Randle was traded. It was what Minnesota received in return.

Or perhaps more accurately…what they didn’t receive.

Instead of bringing back another established player, the Timberwolves essentially used Randle as a salary dump. Minnesota also shipped out the 28th overall pick while receiving Brooklyn’s 31st selection back in return, moving from the back end of the first round to the top of the second. The immediate return consisted primarily of financial flexibility, a sizeable trade exception, and breathing room beneath the apron restrictions.

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From a purely financial standpoint, the move made perfect sense. The move gave Minnesota the flexibility to extend an generous offer to Ayo Dosunmu, who had established himself as an important piece after arriving from Chicago at the trade deadline. Sliding from the 28th pick to the 31st pick also reduced the financial commitment attached to the incoming rookie while still allowing the Wolves to select a player in virtually the same talent tier. If you view the transaction through the lens of roster construction and cap management, you could certainly understand the logic.

The emotional reaction, however, was something entirely different. Julius Randle…

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Publish date : 2026-06-28 10:19:00

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