Timberwolves would not be interested in Julius Randle in potential Karl-Anthony Towns trade

Randle is scheduled to earn $28.2 million this season but said he wants the money, though he also wants a trip to Las Vegas. “From a money standpoint 500K is a lot to anybody. It’s a lot of money. I don’t care what anybody says,” he said after the game. “But for the guys that are not making as much, it’s a big deal. We definitely want to win it for them. They put a lot into this.” -via New York Daily News / November 29, 2023

His offseason ankle surgery, or at least the recovery from it, was a problem to start the season. Not so much lately. “I feel better, more like myself,” Randle said. “I told you guys it would be a day-to-day process, me not being able to do much in the summer.” -via New York Post / November 18, 2023

Jay King: Kristaps Porzingis said his knee is nothing too serious. He got the injury on a collision with Julius Randle during one of Randle’s drives. He said he won’t know his status for tonight until closer to game time. -via Twitter @ByJayKing / November 15, 2023

So why is Karl-Anthony Towns listed as a potential trade candidate? The consensus among the NBA executives who spoke to HoopsHype is that if Minnesota loses in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year, Towns could be the most likely member of the core traded. The executives based this assertion on several factors. Anthony Edwards emerged as the face of the franchise. Rudy Gobert has returned to his Defensive Player of the Year form, and Minnesota would never get back an equal return for what they paid to get him. Jaden McDaniels has also developed into an All-Defensive-caliber player and a rising young two-way wing, one of the most coveted positions in the league. The executives also pointed to the New York Knicks as a team with enough young assets and draft picks to get a deal done and a willingness to value Towns’ massive contract extension going forward. -via HoopsHype / November 29, 2023

Jon Krawczynski: KAT: “We all have the will that’s needed to win on a daily basis because we’ve seen how when you don’t have the will how seasons turn out. We also understand MN has lacked in one word and that’s execution. If we execute at a high level, we can see our fortunes change here.” -via Twitter @JonKrawczynski / November 21, 2023

In terms of shot distribution — that age-old indicator of which player is at the top of the proverbial totem pole — Edwards is leading the team with 20.3 shots per game while Towns is second at 16.5 (Reid is third at 8.7). “I think we’ve got a good mentality,” Towns said. “It’s the mindset. And when you’ve got those kinds of things, when you have standards in the foundation that you believe in and keep building off of, then when things go bad you fall back on that. That allows us to do what we’re doing right now.” -via The Athletic / November 20, 2023