Timberwolves, Bulls and Nets NBA Trade Grades for Julius Randle, Nic Claxton Deal
While the NBA world braces for the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the Minnesota Timberwolves jumped the gun by dealing Julius Randle into the Brooklyn Nets' cap space.
The Chicago Bulls snuck into the move too, landing veteran center Nic Claxton.
ESPN's Shams Charania had all the details.
And below, we have the grades.
Brooklyn Nets: A-
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Nets Receive: Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick
Nets Lose: No. 33 pick
You can certainly argue that there may have been more prudent uses for Brooklyn's cap space. They're one of the few teams in the league that could've been a player in free agency.
But the Nets don't exactly boast a foundation or recent history that would attract big-name free agents anyway. Randle, even with the warts in his game, is likely a better talent than anyone they could've signed outright.
Sure, his jump shot and scoring efficiency can come and go. He sometimes pounds the ball to his team's detriment. And he can get lost on defense.
But he's also productive, often through sheer force of will. And in the East, a combination of Randle and Michael Porter Jr. should push this team toward the play-in range.
Unloading Claxton could also open up more minutes for Day'Ron Sharpe, who was arguably Brooklyn's best center last season.
Add to all of that the fact that the Nets moved up in the draft and don't really have any incentives to tank anymore, and it's not hard to see why they made this deal.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Incomplete (but for now, B)
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Timberwolves Receive: No. 33 pick
Timberwolves Lose: Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick
On the economic front alone, it's not hard to see why the Timberwolves did this. They were going to be one of the more expensive teams in the league, and finding a cap-space team to take on perhaps their most onerous contract is a win.
Moving from the 28th pick to the 33rd isn't a huge deal either. The chances of landing a difference-maker at either of those spots are slim.
But Minnesota did lose one of the primary engines of its offense. He averaged 21.1 points in 2025-26 and finished with a commanding team lead in total assists.
He certainly wasn't your traditional playmaker, but Randle's Juggernaut-like drives pulled defenses away from Anthony Edwards. And he was willing enough to kick out of those drives to teammates.
Being able to replace his production and role isn't a given for the Timberwolves. That might actually require another move.
But even if there isn't another trade directly tied to this one, the added flexibility is probably worth a passing grade.
Chicago Bulls: B
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Bulls Receive: Nic Claxton
Bulls Lose: Cap Space
The Bulls are another team that wasn't likely to make a splash in free agency, even as one of the few teams that technically had the space to do it.
As crazy as it seems for NBA fans who grew up in the 1990s, Chicago just isn't a prime destination right now.
So adding a decent rim-runner and rim-protector (or at least someone on the right side of 30 who was those things a couple years ago) to Josh Giddey makes some sense.
Claxton, at least in theory, should make the Bulls more competitive. He'll be a good receiver for Giddey's playmaking. And his interior game should complement Matas Buzelis' perimeter one.
But there are some drawbacks here. As noted earlier, Claxton's production has plummeted in recent seasons.
In 2022-23 and 2023-24, he averaged 12.3 points and 2.3 blocks, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. In the two campaigns since then, he's at 11.0 points and 1.3 blocks, with a 56.7 field-goal percentage.
Chicago will obviously hope to reverse that trend, but it's not guaranteed to be able to do it.
If Claxton continues to flirt with mediocrity and still takes developmental minutes away from Caleb Wilson (who the Bulls will presumably take at No. 4 in the draft), this "freebie" might start to feel like it cost the team something.
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