The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a creative three-team trade that sends Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and clears the cap space Minnesota needed to lock in a big free agency signing. The move also involves the Chicago Bulls landing Nic Claxton and adds some interesting draft capital movement.
The specific details are worth breaking down. Minnesota sends Randle and the No. 28 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to Brooklyn, along with forward Joshua Jefferson. The Nets send Claxton to Chicago and No. 33 pick Isaiah Evans to Minnesota. The Bulls send Mo Gueye to Minnesota to complete the deal.
The financial angle is the whole point for the Wolves. Randle carried a $33.3 million cap number for the upcoming season. Getting off that contract lets Minnesota do what they really wanted to do, which was sign Ayo Dosunmu to a five-year, $112 million deal with a player option in the fifth year. That is a significant investment in a young guard who has been developing into a legitimate two-way player.
Claxton’s $23.3 million contract now goes to the Bulls, who added a defensive-minded center to a team that has been searching for interior identity. Claxton is a legitimate rim protector and rebounder who fits the profile of what Chicago needs. He might be the second-best center in the East behind Bam Adebayo when it comes to pure defensive impact.
The Nets are the interesting piece here. Brooklyn is getting an All-Star player in Randle who can score at multiple levels and provide veteran leadership on a young roster. Some analysts questioned why Brooklyn would take on Randle’s contract without significant additional draft compensation coming their way, but the reporting suggests the Nets valued him as a legitimate rotation piece.
Randle himself might be the most interesting story in this whole thing. He is 30 years old, a former All-Star, and coming off a season where his role changed multiple times in Minnesota. Getting a fresh start in Brooklyn with a new coach and a defined role could reignite the version of Randle we saw during his best years with the Knicks.
For Minnesota, the flexibility this move creates is the key. The Wolves have Anthony Edwards as their franchise cornerstone, along with Rudy Gobert anchoring the defense. Adding Dosunmu at the price they got him is a smart use of the cap space. He fits alongside Edwards and does not step on his usage.
The Bulls’ calculation is a little harder to read. Chicago has been in this awkward middle ground between competing and rebuilding for a while now. Adding Claxton at $23.3 million is not the move of a team that is fully committed to tanking. It is also not the move of a team that is one piece away from contention. Chicago is threading a needle.
Trade grades from around the league have been mixed. Most analysts liked the move for Minnesota, seeing it as a smart way to shed money and re-tool. The Nets got mixed reviews for taking on Randle’s salary, though the veteran leadership piece was widely appreciated. The Bulls’ end of the deal drew the most skepticism, mostly because of the ongoing question about what direction Chicago is going.
The 2026 NBA Draft added another layer to the transaction. Minnesota using the picks it received to trade back and get more assets is a classic move from a front office that values flexibility. Isaiah Evans and Joshua Jefferson may or may not become key pieces for their new teams, but the cap savings alone made this deal worth pursuing.
The bigger takeaway is that the Wolves are all-in on Anthony Edwards and building around him. Rudy Gobert is still there. Dosunmu is now signed long term. Whatever they do next is going to be about maximizing the window with Edwards leading the way.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
