Julius Randle Injury Update: T’Wolves drop massive update on forward ahead of trade deadline 

Julius Randle, the Timberwolves' second-highest scorer, was injured after 10 minutes against the Utah Jazz last week, and his inability to return has raised concerns among Wolves fans. Minnesota has lost its previous two games and is seventh in the Western Conference.

While it isn't time to press the panic button yet, Minnesota may have some concerns about the rest of its season after a surprise conference finals run in 2024.

Rumors circulated about Julius Randle's availability in a trade ahead of the trade deadline on Thursday. However, with NBA insider Mark Medina's Wednesday injury update revealing a right adductor strain that will set him out for at least two weeks, after which he will be re-evaluated, there may be concerns regarding what the franchise can do about its headline offseason trade acquisition.

Donte DiVincenzo, the other player acquired in the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York, has also been out for the past few weeks with a turf toe injury.

The Timberwolves, who were hopeful of their two acquisitions and two of their top four scorers guiding them to a playoff spot, both their big trade acquisitions are unavailable as they face a fight to climb up the West standings. Minnesota is left heavily reliant on Anthony Edwards while Western Conference teams, such as the LA Lakers and Sacramento Kings, are making moves likely to spark more wins.

This pushes the question about whether they may pull the trigger on a trade for Julius Randle, who has not performed to their expectations and is likely to be on their books for another season if he picks up his player option for 2025-26.

Julius Randle doesn't have a huge market, and the Timberwolves don't want to dump his contract, per reports

While fans may have questions about the feasibility of trading Julius Randle for immediate reinforcements, any move may only be made for an enticing package, and the team isn't ready to blow up the roster to dump his $33,073,920 contract for the year, according to Minnesota Timberwolves beat writers.

The Timberwolves may do well to ride the season out and give more reps to their young core, including Rob Dillingham, especially with Mike Conley's play taking a nosedive in recent weeks.

Reaching the West finals ahead of schedule should be seen by the brass as an indication of their potential, rather than a regular expectation, and any hasty moves could set them back further from contention.

Rob Dillingham has shown glimpses of his potential in recent games - Source: Imagn

According to some NBA experts, it makes more sense for the Timberwolves to trade Julius Randle ahead of draft night when there is likely to be more clarity for each team regarding their cap situations and their direction in terms of playoff ambitions.

A move to immediately rectify what has so far been deemed a failed trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo could prove unwise, especially with the team still above .500 with a realistic chance of play-in/playoff contention.

Randle has not been their go-to scorer and hasn't been producing at an efficient clip, either. Meanwhile, with increasing age and injury concerns, he's unlikely to have a huge market. Nursing him back for in the last legs of their playoff pursuit while also creating a role that suits his strengths could help rebuild his value and generate a better return for the former Lakers and Knicks big in the offseason.