Latest news with #JuliusRandle
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Offseason Recap: Which Teams Overpaid The Most In Free Agency?
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 26: Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts against the ... More Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 26, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) As much as we love to ordain players as hoopers or marvel at how "tuff" their game is, basketball is – and always has been – a game of numbers. Scoring efficiently matters. Valuing possessions matters. And in the offseason, spending money wisely matters. The best teams always get the most value for their dollar, and the worst ones tend to overspend on subpar production. Last season, the two best contracts belonged to the current defending-champions (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams). So, it is important to take stock of how well money is being spent across the league. That is way, in this two part mini-series, we are going to look at the best and worst contracts signed in free agency to this point (Monday, July 7). For this edition of the mini-series, we will be looking at the more curious finanical decisions of this offseason. Method For Assessing Player Value As a reminder, we are going to focus on a method inspired by Seth Partnow's book, 'The Midrange Theory.' In his book, the former Director of Basketball Research for the Milwaukee Bucks discusses a formula that teams use to estimate a player's monetary value. In its essence, the formula involves multiplying how many points a player is "worth" by the amount a win "costs" in a given season. Unfortunately, Real-Adjusted Plus-Minus (RAPM) — a major component in the formula — is no longer available. So, I've revised Partnow's formula a bit. The Website Dunks & Threes offers a metric called Estimated Wins (EW). As the name implies, this measure quite literally estimates how many wins a player earned for their team in a given season. Theoretically, by multiplying this number by the amount a win is worth in a given season (3.8 in 2025-26), we can get an idea of how much they should be making next season. From there, we can compare the average annual value of the contract they received to the amount this exercise produced to see the disparity in how much they got paid versus what they are actually worth. Now, there are some shortcomings to using such a simple method for calculating a player's value. First, we are limited to the methodology used to compute EW. As is the case with any catch-all metric, EW can only tell you how many wins a player added in their specific role on their specific team. And second, this sort of method biases against players who struggle with injuries — since they aren't on the court to help have an impact on winning. In some instances, like with players who are consistently injured, this can be helpful. But in one-off cases, where a player is uncharacteristically unhealthy for a year, this can make a player look far less valuable than they actually are (we'll talk more about these specific examples in Part Two). Now, with all table all set, let's take a look at the worst contracts of the 2025 offseason up to this point. (Sidebar: We are only focusing on contracts signed by restricted/unrestricted free agents, not extensions signed by players with time still left on their current contract.) The Best Contracts Of The 2025 Offseason To me, the most alarming part of this list is that 60% of it is occupied by Minnesota Timberwolves/Milwaukee Bucks signings. To the Bucks' credit, they also had a lot of positive value signings (Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Ryan Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr.). But for the Timberwolves, all three of their signings to this point have landed on this infamous list. When you couple that with the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the increase in threatening teams in the Western Conference, and their coming up short in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, this has been a rough start to the offseason for the Timberwolves. For those of you who followed our under-the-radar free agents series, you may be wondering why Duncan Robinson's name appears on this list. In that article, we said Robinson would be a steal near the veteran minimum
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves Trade NAW; Former Players Sign Elsewhere
Although contracts can't officially be signed until July 6, NBA free agency kicked off in earnest on Monday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves already have extended Naz Reid and Julius Randle. Then they decided to let a pair of young big men walk. On Monday their only new deal came in the form of a re-up with veteran swingman Joe Ingles. It isn't expected that Tim Connelly will be too aggressive given the luxury tax implications and desire to avoid significant second apron penalties. Advertisement If there was an assumed result, it was that Nickeil Alexander-Walker would sign elsewhere. His market was going to be robust, and a deal came together quickly. Related Headlines Minnesota Timberwolves send NAW to Atlanta for payday Nickeil Alexander-Walker played the 2024-25 season on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the NBA. In his second full season with the Minnesota Timberwolves NAW became a rotation fixture and one of the most under-the-radar stars in the game. Now he gets his payday. The Timberwolves orchestrated a sign-and-trade with Alexander-Walker to facilitate his new deal with Atlanta. They did pick up a second round pick and some cash in the swap. Advertisement The four-year $62 million payday was substantially more than Minnesota would have been able to offer him. Last season NAW made $4.3 million in the second year of a two-year $9 million extension he signed with the Timberwolves. NAW played all 82 games for Minnesota this season. It was the second-straight year he had accomplished that feat. He also made 10 starts for Chris Finch. In 2024-25 NAW averaged 9.4 points per game on 43.8% shooting. He now heads to an Atlanta team with Trae Young at the helm. It should be expected that Alexander-Walker will be given a bit more freedom in the rotation even after averaging 25.3 minutes per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves this past year. Familiar MN Timberwolves faces find new landing spots as well It wasn't just NAW that was on the move Monday night. The free agency frenzy had multiple players with Minnesota Timberwolves ties signing on the dotted line as well. It didn't take long for Luka Garza to find a new home. Minnesota declined his minimal player option for the upcoming season and the former Iowa Hawkeye is headed to the Celtics on a two-year deal worth $5.5 million. He is certainly looking for a bit more opportunity within the rotation. Advertisement It has been a while since Tyus Jones played for the Timberwolves. However, the 'one of us' guard could have potentially been an option to fill the playmaker role Minnesota needs this summer. He won't be back though and is instead signing with the Magic. He joins fellow Minnesotan Jalen Suggs on the Orlando roster. Although he never played for the Timberwolves, Jones' brother Tre also signed a new three-year deal for $24 million with the Chicago Bulls. Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Bring Back Veteran Free Agent The memories of D'Angelo Russell aren't particularly fond in Minnesota. The guard has bounced between Los Angeles and Brooklyn since that time. He now is joining the Dallas Mavericks, and top pick Cooper Flagg. Russell will be on a Mavericks team that is looking to make noise in the post-Luka Doncic era. The Minnesota Timberwolves still have some more moves to make on their own. Who and when they find agreements with remains to be seen. Advertisement Related Headlines
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves Commit Long Term to Another Big Man, Julius Randle
The Minnesota Timberwolves offseason has gotten extremely this week. After losing out on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, the attention of Tim Connelly immediately spun his complete focus to the NBA Draft, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday. After the Wolves pulled two international 18-year-old big men out of the 2025 draft heap, Connelly turned his attention to Minnesota's own crop of pending offseason departures, specifically Naz Reid (player option), Julius Randle (player option) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (UFA). Advertisement On Friday evening, Tim settled Reid's uncertainty with a new 5 year, $125 million contract that has received rather widespread criticism nationally, as an overpay. Locally, it was pretty well-known that Naz Reid was going to be paid as a starter, in the neighborhood of $25-30 million per year. Related Headlines Minnesota Timberwolves sign Julius Randle to contract extension Still, I expect the news reported by Shams Charania (ESPN) early Sunday afternoon will likely wrap national pundits up in even more confusion. Not only is Naz Reid coming back, but so is Julius Randle… on a fresh 3-year, $100 million deal ($33.3 million/year) that includes a player option in its final season (2027-28). Related: Rudy Gobert Finally Says No to International Play Last season, his first in a Timberwolves uniform, Julius Randle averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. He struggled a bit to find his fit during the first half of the season. Then, a midseason injury sidelined the 30-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat for all of February. Advertisement It was then, according to Randle, where he was able to observe his new team, from the outside-looking-in. That perspective allowed him to unlock his fit. From there, his numbers bumped up and the wins rolled in. Minnesota went into February (Randle's month off) with a 27-21 record and questions all over the fit of its roster, especially Randle. But after Julius' return on March 3, he slid in like the perfect puzzle piece. And from that date on, the Timberwolves went 17-4 to finish the regular season, jumping a half-dozen teams to claim the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket, just outside of the play-in tournament. Don't worry, there is a method to Tim Connelly's madness Again, this move is not a huge surprise. July 1 is the deadline for all of these player/team options to be decided, as that is when the new league year will begin and teams can start to sign free agents for the upcoming year. Advertisement Minnesota Timberwolves beat reporters have also confirmed that the Reid + Randle extensions eliminate any chance we had of a Nickeil Alexander-Walker return. After the Wolves failed to reel in Durant, local reports have pointed to running it back with mostly the same roster. This does not mean Julius Randle will be a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the next three seasons. In fact, don't be shocked if he doesn't last until the trade deadline. Most likely, the Wolves will start the 2025-26 season with a roster that looks very familiar to last year's. But if a move needs to be made before the playoff run, we all know Tim Connelly will not hesitate. The same thing can be said for next offseason, and the deadlines/offseasons that follow. Advertisement What this does is give both the Timberwolves and Julius Randle more control of over their future. With Reid, Randle, Gobert, Ant and Jaden McDaniels, this organization is stacked with talent that other teams would happily pay a lot for, if trade talks ever get serious. season Related Headlines
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Damian Lillard Joining Timberwolves After Bucks Release Would Be a Problem
Damian Lillard Joining Timberwolves After Bucks Release Would Be a Problem originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that could use a replacement point guard, and one has recently become available to interested and patient teams. On Tuesday morning, the Milwaukee Bucks officially released NBA All-Star Damian Lillard amid his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon injury. Advertisement With the team waiving Lillard, they stretched $113 million remaining on his contract over five years to acquire free agent Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers. ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania was first to report the news. Lillard, a nine-time All-Star, averaged 24.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game in his two seasons on the Bucks. While the team failed to return to championship glory with him, he has been an impressive player when at his top form. Former Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Ruszkowski-Imagn Images The Timberwolves have made several roster moves recently, primarily through the NBA Draft and by re-signing key players Naz Reid and Julius Randle. More recently, they've lost Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luka Garza, and Josh Minott. Advertisement Many fans are still hoping the team will address what is a glaring issue at point guard. Mike Conley isn't getting any younger and is no longer playing at the same high level he did in his previous days. Many fans on Reddit's Timberwolves subreddit expressed interest in potentially adding Lillard to the roster to address the issue. "Just In time for the playoffs. I'd take Dame coming off Achilles over Conley putting up 4/2/2 statlines in 25 mins played," one fan commented. "Lillard to the wolves is very intriguing but i'm curious to what a contract for him would even look like," a commenter said. Advertisement "If Lillard wasn't injured and we had cap space, I'd sign him," another fan commented on the thread. The former Bucks guard is one of three star players to have suffered an Achilles injury during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Along with Lillard, the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and the Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton also went down with this brutal injury. It typically takes at least a full season to recover, meaning these players may or may not be ready by the 2025-26 postseason. By the time they returned, it would matter whether the teams they were on were even contending, let alone the uncertainty of whether they would play as well as they had previously when they got on the court. Advertisement Lillard, 36, would likely command a high contract for whichever team tries to add him, unless he opts for a lower amount so he can play briefly for a championship contender. According to Hoops Hype, he earned $48,787,676 last year and $329,998,76 for his career. And while Minnesota could gamble on a star like Lillard, it seems smarter to pursue another option for their point guard who is currently healthy and less expensive, as the rest of the roster appears solid and ready to contend again. As of this writing, less expensive point guard free agents available include Dante Exum, Delon Wright, and Monte Morris. Potentially better options include Spencer Dinwiddie and former NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. And don't forget about Rob Dillingham, a young developing guard that the team seemingly trusts in for the future. The Timberwolves traded with the San Antonio Spurs at last year's draft to add Dillingham to the roster, and he could be who they are banking on to emerge as Conley's replacement. Advertisement Related: Timberwolves Fans React to Luka Garza Joining the Boston Celtics Related: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Leaving Timberwolves for Hawks Sparks Fan Reaction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves fans react to NBA 2K26 Summer League roster missing key player
Timberwolves fans react to NBA 2K26 Summer League roster missing key player originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team on a mission to reach the NBA Finals behind a trio of All-Stars and a talented supporting cast. Anthony Edwards appears ready to take over the league any season now, and he still has big man Rudy Gobert roaming the paint and elsewhere. Advertisement In addition, the team re-signed forward Julius Randle, securing his presence on the roster for at least several more years. Naz Reid also re-signed, providing the team with a boost when needed from the bench or if head coach Chris Finch needs to start him. While Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are no longer on the team, Minnesota has plenty of potential emerging stars, including Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham. Those are just a few names from a deep Wolves roster that includes some younger players who haven't seen much playing time at all. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, guard Anthony Edwards, and forward Julius Matt Blewett-Imagn Images These players will have the opportunity to showcase their talents during the upcoming NBA Summer League, which primarily features rookies and second-year players. Advertisement On Thursday, the team revealed its official summer league roster on X (formerly Twitter), revealing which players will appear in upcoming games for Las Vegas. Shannon, Jr. and Dillingham headline a roster that also features former UConn star Tristen Newton. In addition, the team's first-round NBA Draft pick, Joan Beringer, is in the mix to show his abilities at Vegas' games. It's believed that the rookie Beringer will serve at least as a backup to Gobert in the upcoming season. There is even speculation that he could replace the fellow French center in a future season. Timberwolves fans seem generally excited about watching the younger players in action, as the coaching staff will evaluate them. Advertisement "Love that most of the guys here are already within the system of the Timberwolves and Iowa Wolves," a commenter wrote on X. "The champions Summer League 2025," another X commenter said. However, some fans wondered about the team's recent second-round pick, Rocco Zikarsky, who isn't on the roster. "Where is Zikarsky? And did TSJ switch to 1?" one fan asked in an X reply on the team's post. "The fans demand Rocco's presence!" another X comment said. "Ah Rocco can't be put on the roster until that massive trade is finalized," one X commenter wrote. Others speculated that the Australian center was returning overseas to train more, or that he was possibly hurt or getting rested, since the roster was already full. Advertisement As of this writing, ESPN currently lists Rocco on the team's roster, but the Timberwolves website does not have him listed on the official roster. It's worth noting that the team's first-round pick, Beringer, is listed there, as well as Rasheer Fleming, a recently drafted player whom Minnesota traded to Phoenix. Rocco, a promising young 7-foot-3 center, was drafted at No. 45 last month by the Chicago Bulls, who then traded his rights to the Timberwolves. A CBS Sports report indicated that he would sign a two-way contract with the team and then likely play the next two seasons with the G League's Iowa Wolves, as he's not yet needed to contribute to the main team. Advertisement The Timberwolves' 2K26 Summer League squad's first game is scheduled for July 10 against the New Orleans Pelicans, with ESPN2 providing coverage. Three other games will take place on July 12, 15, and 16, with the Timberwolves facing the Nuggets, Pistons, and Suns, respectively. NBATV will broadcast those three additional games, with the full schedule here. Related: Damian Lillard Joining Timberwolves After Bucks Release Would Be a Problem Related: Timberwolves Fans React to Luka Garza Joining the Boston Celtics This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
