Nets acquire Randle and draft pick in three-team trade

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Julius Randle and the 28th overall pick in Tuesday's NBA draft from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade completed Monday night. The Timberwolves will receive the 33rd overall selection from Brooklyn. The Nets will also send veteran center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, while Minnesota receives forward Mo Gueye from Chicago and is expected to waive him.

Trade details and team impacts The deal gives Minnesota a $33 million trade exception and added financial flexibility ahead of free agency. The Timberwolves later agreed to terms with guard Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million contract. Randle moves from a Minnesota team that won 49 games in each of the past two seasons to a Brooklyn roster that finished 20-62 last year.

The Nets hold the sixth overall pick in the 2026 draft.

Randle's career path The Lakers selected Randle seventh overall in the 2014 draft. He spent his first two NBA seasons with the team during Kobe Bryant's final years, then played one season with the New Orleans Pelicans before joining the New York Knicks.

Randle became a three-time All-Star during five seasons with the Knicks. In October 2024 he was traded to Minnesota in the deal that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

“I had a great mentor in Kobe that didn't necessarily let me pout or get down on myself. His thing was always, 'All right, what's next? How can you get better? How can you improve?'" — Julius Randle, after a conference semifinal game Randle's wife posted a video on Instagram Story showing their 9-year-old son expressing excitement about returning to New York. The Nets have not had an All-Star representative since Kevin Durant in 2022.”