Is Julius Randle playing tonight against Chicago Bulls? Latest on All-Star's status for Timberwolves debut (Oct. 16)

Julius Randle will debut for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls in a preseason game. Since getting traded to Minnesota, the All-Star forward has been on the sidelines amid his recovery from a shoulder injury (dislocation) he sustained in his final game with the New York Knicks on Jan. 27. Randle hasn't played since.

He underwent surgery in April and was expected to return ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. It will be a new chapter for the Timberwolves and Randle, with both parties entering a fresh change.

Minnesota gets to test out what their system could look like after their longest-tenured player, Karl-Anthony Towns', departure. Meanwhile, Randle gets to play a different role than what he played in New York next to an MVP-caliber candidate like Anthony Edwards.

---

Julius Randle prepared to go full throttle in return ahead of Timberwolves-Bulls

Julius Randle is ready to log in as many minutes as needed in his return to on-court action after nearly 10 months. The All-Star forward made his thoughts clear during an interview with SNY's Ian Begley on Tuesday.

"You know where I'm coming from, I'm ready for whatever," Randle said. "That's how I prepared my summer. So whatever Finchy [Chris Finch] leave for me, I'll give it to him."

Randle has had decent recovery time, so playing 20-25 minutes in his first game back could be on the cards. The Timberwolves don't have another preseason game after Wednesday, so this is the only in-game rep Randle will get before the Timberwolves' regular season starts on Oct. 23 against the LA Lakers.

Julius Randle's fit seems clunky, so the Timberwolves may need some time to get him acclimated to their system. He's not as efficient as a floor spacer that Karl-Anthony Towns was, primarily putting his fit next to Rudy Gobert in question.

---

How to watch Julius Randle's Minnesota Timberwolves debut vs Chicago Bulls?

Chicago Sports Network and Bally Sports North will provide coverage in local regions for the Timberwolves-Bulls game, in which Randle will debut for Minnesota. The game begins at 8:00 p.m. ET at United Center. NBA League Pass will be an online streaming option for interested viewers.