Julius Randle is staying put.
The former Knicks player, who was transferred to the Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns just before last year’s training camp, is reportedly ready to ink a new three-year, $100 million deal to stay with Minnesota, as announced by ESPN’s Shams Charania on 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.
Last season, Randle posted averages of 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in his debut season with the Timberwolves, contributing to the team’s journey to the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
He delivered a remarkable performance during Minnesota’s second-round triumph over the Warriors, recording averages of 25.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.4 rebounds over the five-game series, though he encountered difficulties 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.
