The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a three-team trade that will send forward Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in Tuesday’s NBA Draft to the Brooklyn Nets, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
In the same transaction, center Nic Claxton heads to the Chicago Bulls, while Minnesota receives Brooklyn’s No. 33 selection.
Moving Randle’s contract removes the final two years of his deal from the Timberwolves’ payroll, giving the club additional flexibility to retain free-agent guard Ayo Dosunmu and use other roster-building exceptions this offseason.
Brooklyn leverages its cap space to acquire Randle, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward, and secures an extra first-round pick.
Chicago fills a need in the middle with Claxton, one of the league’s more athletic defensive centers, and is expected to maintain roughly $30 million in cap space after the trade.
The move ends weeks of speculation surrounding Randle’s future in Minnesota as the Timberwolves explore roster changes around Anthony Edwards. With the draft less than 24 hours away, further activity remains possible.
Source: Hoops Wire
