The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves injected some life into what had been a dull September when it was revealed that the two had agreed on a trade that would send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round selection. It is worth noting that the trade is not yet official. But that should happen in the near future.
One has to question if Randle’s long-term future is in Minnesota, or if the Timberwolves would be willing to trade him again soon. There are some questions about his fit on that roster. In a Bleacher Report piece, Andy Bailey proposed a trade that would send Randle to the Miami Heat in exchange for Nikola Jovic, Terry Rozier, and Thomas Bryant.
Of course, it appears that Randle would bring the same potential roster-fit difficulties to the Heat as he would to the Timberwolves. However, Bailey writes: “For the Miami Heat, this raises some of the same problems Randle had for the Timberwolves.
Lineups with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Randle might be a spacing nightmare. But as a pure talent play, this is a clear upgrade.And Erik Spoelstra is the coach who can figure out how to compensate for each of the above’s lack of shooting with their passing abilities.” Most Heat fans would agree with that perspective. If there is one NBA coach who can solve that puzzle, it is Spoelstra. It’s been evident for a while that the Heat need another player who can produce regularly in the future.
Randle could be the perfect match for that role. Last season, he averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, shooting 47.2% from the field and 31.1% from three. If it works, a transaction like this might propel the Heat back into title contention. If it doesn’t, they’ll seem dumb for taking this way despite understanding Randle’s game’s limitations.
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