Julius Randle staying with Timberwolves on $100 million contract

Julius Randle is staying put.

The former Knicks forward, who was traded to the Timberwolves in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal right before the start of training camp last year, is set to sign a new three-year, $100 million contract to remain with Minnesota, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday.

The third year is a player option.

Randle, 30, had a $30.9 million option for 2025-26

The move comes after the Timberwolves gave forward Naz Reid a five-year, $125 million contract.

Randle averaged 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in his first season with the Timberwolves last season, helping the team reach the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season. 

He was especially impressive in Minnesota’s second-round win over the Warriors, averaging 25.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.4 rebounds across the five-game series, before struggling against the Thunder in the conference finals. 

Before he was sent to the Timberwolves in the blockbuster Towns deal along with Donte DiVincenzo, Randle spent five seasons with the Knicks. 

The Kentucky product was a polarizing player among Knicks fans for his playoff struggles and ball-dominant playstyle, but he was a central figure in bringing the franchise back to relevance after years in the gutter of the NBA. 

In 2020-21, for instance, Randle willed the Knicks to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference behind a terrific individual season, averaging 24.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and earning an All-Star nod and the Most Improved Player award.

After a lackluster 2021-22 campaign, he notched back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24 as the co-star to Jalen Brunson. 

The seventh overall pick in the 2014 draft, Randle spent the first four seasons of his career with the Lakers, then one with the Pelicans before arriving in New York.