Former Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls legend Dwyane Wade reveals the unfortunate truth about the Minnesota Timberwolves star
The Minnesota Timberwolves were quickly sent home by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, being eliminated in five games with an average loss margin of over 18 points.
Minnesota made a massive trade before the season, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Many analysts were confused about the trade given the team’s run to the Conference Finals last season, as well, as Julius Randle has not always been seen as a player who contributes to winning.
May 24, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half in game three of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Randle had a fine series, averaging 17.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG on 48.3% shooting from the floor, but it’s far from the production he had in the first two rounds of the playoffs. That has led to some more criticism of the former Kentucky product. But former Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade isn’t having that, coming to his defense and speaking highly of the player he’s turned into.
“People like to s— on Julius Randle, they want to throw Julius Randle away,” Wade said on the “Wy Network.” “They thought when he went to Minnesota, they threw him away. Thought it was over.”
“He went from the Lakers to the Knicks and now he’s gone. He’s here. And I love that he’s getting the chance to shine, and it goes back to the empowerment of Ant-Man [Anthony Edwards] as a leader of that team, empowering all those guys,” Wade added.
“People like to sh*t on Julius Randle.” @DwyaneWade shows love to @JuliusRandle30 🫡 pic.twitter.com/EQFZOajqvI
— Wy Network by Dwyane Wade (@wynetwork) May 26, 2025
“You can see the empowerment of everything and everyone around Julius, and it’s allowed Julius to just be him. He don’t have to be no one else, and everybody has tried to make him some version of someone else. But now, he’s Julius Randle,” Wade concluded.
It’s a big offseason for Randle, who could become a free agent after his 11th season in the NBA. He has a player option worth over $30 million, and there isn’t a lot of money available around the NBA because of the tax aprons. If he opts into that contract, Minnesota is rumored to be chasing Kevin Durant, and Randle’s contract would make the most sense to trade.