Julius Randle may have missed the parade, but he’s returning to New York City. As a member of the Brooklyn Nets, that is.
On Monday evening, NetsDaily welcomedall to the “Sean Marks Trade Zone,” now that there are under 24 hours to go until the NBA Draft. As we noted: “Nine years out the 10 he’s been GM, with the exception of 2022, Marks has made at least one move in said zone.”
One hour later, Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news that the Brooklyn Nets had traded for Julius Randle in a three-team deal that send Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls…
So now, it’s 10 out of 11 with a day to go!
The trade calculous goes like this:
— The Minnesota Timberwolves clear cap space to sign shooting guard Ayo Dosunmu (which they did to the tune of $112 million over five later in the evening), and a starting role for Naz Reid. They also acquired Mouhamadou Gueye, a second year player who’s on a non-guaranteed deal, and generated a $33.3 million trade exception good for a year.
— The Chicago Bulls receive a functional center for nothing other than the cost of his slightly overpriced $22 million annual salary.
— The Brooklyn Nets receive a three-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection making about $69 million over the next two seasons, or just over 20% of the cap. Put plainly: The Brooklyn Nets just paid $27 million over the next two seasons to replace Claxton with Randle. They also got a second first round pick, the No. 28, from the Timberwolves.
Randle will turn 32 years old in November, and just averaged 21/7/5 in his second and final season with the Wolves, during which there was noise about his fit (or lack thereof) in the locker room. With the Nets, Randle gets to return to New York City, where he wore a Knick uniform for five seasons, and attempt to help lead the Nets toward a playoff spot.
The pick the Nets acquired is the result of an exchange of first and a second rounders five places apart: Brooklyn gets the No. 28 pick from Minnesota in return for the #33 pick. As of Monday evening, the Nets currently own the Nos. 6, 28, and 43 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, which begins on Tuesday evening. Minnesota likely agreed to swap picks as a cost-cutting maneuver; the financial difference between any first-rounder and second-rounder, even just five spots apart, is significant. The 28th pick will make a guaranteed $3 million next season. The second rounder carries no such guarantee. Currently, the Nets are looking at eight players making $38.1 million on rookie deals next season, namely the Flatbush 5, Noah Clowney plus the two firsts.
Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron laid out the Nets financial situation following the trade…
The cap figure could go up if, as expected, the Nets do not exercise their team options on Day’ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams, Josh Minott and Malachi Smith.
As for the Nets going into the Draft, the trade doesn’t necessarily mark the end of their activity in the trade market. They could use the No 28 pick (in conjunction with the 43rd pick and/or of the 10 tradeable firsts they have) to continue moving up in the first round. The trade won’t be finalized for a couple weeks.
Nic Claxton was the No. 31 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and was the only Net to witness the entire rise and fall of the squad. The Clean Sweep signing, the Steve Nash experience, both James Harden trades, the arrival and departure of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, his own leap and subsequent decline, the tanking years, all of it.
One NBA decision-maker said that the trade could be a needed tonic for Claxton. “Claxton looks so disinterested,” the executive told ND. “Needs a new home. Too much losing impacts his mentality. Will be better somewhere else. “
Now, he’s a Chicago Bull. Time flies.
Randle on the other hand is on his fifth NBA team after being drafted by the Lakers in 2014. He played four years in Los Angeles, one in New Orleans, five in New York and the last two in Minnesota. His most productive seasons in terms of individual stats came with the Knicks where over his tenure he put up better 22 points a game, grabbed nearly 1o boards and nearly five assists, winning the Most Improved Player award in 2021. But the Knicks did not win and Leon Rose sent him to Minnesota in a blockbuster trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to MSG. We know how that worked out.
One fan who might need some explaining is Randle’s young son Kyden who was famously depicted exiting Barclays Center in tears back in 2021 after his father’s Knicks lost to the Nets. “I hate them,” Kyden told his mother, pointing at a sign featuring Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden…
It’s a business, Kyden. Ask Nic Claxton.
- Nets trade for Julius Randle in three-team deal in pre-NBA draft stunner – Brian Lewis – New York Post
- Sources: Wolves to trade Randle to Nets; Claxton off to Bulls – Dave McMenamin – ESPN
- Nets to acquire Julius Randle, first-round pick in trade sending Nic Claxton to Bulls: report ($) – C.J. Holmes – New York Daily News
- Timberwolves trade Julius Randle to Nets in 3-team trade involving Bulls – Brett Siegel – Clutch Points
- Breaking Down Randle Trade To Nets – Steve Lichtenstein – Steve’s Newsletter