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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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The Minnesota Timberwolves made one of the first big moves of the NBA offseason late Monday night, sending Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the 2026 NBA draft to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team deal. Also involved were the Chicago Bulls, who received center Nic Claxton, while Brooklyn got a proven three-time All-Star in Randle, and Minnesota got Mo Gueye and the No. 33 pick in the draft, while clearing roughly $33.3 million in cap space.
The move ultimately helped clear the way for Minnesota to lock up guard Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million contract on Tuesday.
At first glance, the Randle trade looked straightforward. But ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was quick to warn the Timberwolves not to get too comfortable.
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"I think the Minnesota Timberwolves better be careful because if they don't make the right moves, Anthony Edwards may ask out of there," Smith said. "He is a superstar, make no mistake about it. And he can't be happy with what the organization is doing. Ayo Dosunmu, he wants to keep him. Jaden McDaniels, he wants to keep him.
"I got that part. But what are you going to do to upgrade? What are you going to do to show Anthony Edwards that you can compete with San Antonio? That you can compete with Oklahoma City? That is a question he is looking for the organization to answer. If they don't answer it sooner than later, don't be surprised if he sits up there and says, 'Yo, man, it's time for me to get up out of here.'"
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Recent reports have suggested Edwards wants the front office to aggressively upgrade the roster this summer after another season that ended short of an NBA Finals. The pressure has only been ramped up after the New York Knicks won an NBA title off the back of Karl-Anthony Towns, who Minnesota traded away in part because they didn't believe they could win with him.
Edwards is one of the league's premier players, but Minnesota is in a Western Conference that's young and loaded with talent. The San Antonio Spurs just went to the NBA Finals led by a rising trio of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, all under 23 years old, and the Oklahoma City Thunder appear intent on keeping their own young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren together, who won a championship in 2025.
That's who Minnesota has to compete with if they want to win a title with Edwards.
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Before the Randle trade, the Wolves were being heavily linked to several stars around the league, notably Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kyrie Irving, and Ja Morant. But with Giannis now in Miami, and Dosunmu, a 6-foot-4 guard, being locked up to a long-term deal, what's the next move for the Timberwolves?
A trade for Durant would put them over the top, but he's owed $43.9 million next season, a move that would require serious salary cap gymnastics. Jaylen Brown might be another option, but he is owed $57.1 million next year, and would require a massive trade package.
Minnesota's options are thinning, and the pressure is only rising.
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