The Minnesota Timberwolves executed a blockbuster trade just before the start of the 2024-25 season. They traded longtime Timberwolves player Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. So far, the move hasn’t paid its dividends to the Wolves. Especially with regards to Randle who’s struggled to find his footing at Minnesota.

Amid these performance issues, NBA Insider Dane Moore has released an update on the veteran. “The injury update on Julius Randle is that he has a right adductor strain and that he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.” Moore wrote on X. He states that Randle is now ruled out from playing due to an injury, piling up on Minnesota’s misery.

This news comes after Thursday’s contest against the Utah Jazz, where he suffered an injury after just 10 minutes on the court. An MRI and a second opinion have confirmed that it’s a right adductor strain. This is concerning news for the Timberwolves who are 27-23 for the season. Currently, they are 7th seed in the Western Conference and chasing a playoff spot.

Furthermore, Randle is set to miss at least six games for the Wolves if all goes well. Although his performances have not hit the mark, he’s still been averaging 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. That’s a massive downgrade from the 24 points he was averaging for the Knicks last season. Interestingly, Minnesota not even a year after landing Julius Randle was reportedly trying to ship him in this trade window. Let’s see what’s their stance now.

Timberwolves clear their stance on Julius Randle as trade deadline looms over their head

Just arriving in Minnesota a few months back, Julius Randle could have been on the move once again. The 30-year-old has not quite been at his best season and has struggled at his new home. Moreover, the Timberwolves are eyeing another deep playoff run this season, and doing that from a play-in spot might just not be ideal for them.

So, naturally, they are on a hunt to get an upgrade at the forward position if possible. However, they now seem to have abandoned that pursuit despite plenty of people assuming he’ll be traded before February 6th. According to local Insiders Jon Kraczynski and Darren Wolfson, the Timberwolves have decided to keep Randle for now. He has a $33 million player option on his deal for the upcoming season. To strike a deal the Wolves will likely have to sweeten the pot with another player or pick, which isn’t ideal for them.

Also, it won’t benefit them in the short-term on the contrary it could make matters worse for them this season. So, it’s in the team’s best interest to keep Randle on the roster for this season. That being said, one thing this trade window has taught us is to expect the unexpected. We’ll have to wait and watch if the Wolves make a move before the trade deadline.