The Minnesota Timberwolves will have three potential free agents this offseason in Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. While Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent, Randle and Reid have player options on their contracts.
Julius Randle Could Decline His $30.93 Million Player Option
Reid will likely decline his option and seek a larger deal, but there’s a chance that Randle will accept his option and return to Minnesota as he is slated to earn $30.93 million next season. Of the three players, Randle has the best odds of returning to the Wolves next season.
However, Randle has never won an NBA championship. The three-time All-Star could very well hit free agency to join another playoff contender. He helped Minnesota reach the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season, but the Timberwolves continue to fall short in the postseason.
If the 30-year-old decides to leave, here are the three best free-agent destinations.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have $143 million in salary and are over the cap when factoring in both first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Not only will San Antonio be able to extend De’Aaron Fox and draft two players in the first round, but the team will also have access to its $14.1 million non-tax and $5.1 million biannual exceptions.
Marks said 10 players are already under contract for next season, so a new contract for Fox will likely be finalized on Aug. 3, the first day he’s allowed to sign an extension. Fox is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million maximum deal. Former lottery pick Jeremy Sochan is also extension-eligible through Oct. 20.
San Antonio could use another scorer in its frontcourt, as the team was eight points per 100 possessions worse when superstar Victor Wembanyama was off the court this season. Adding Randle would also be ideal because the Spurs could lose Chris Paul to free agency.
Randle’s aggressive playstyle would complement the play of Wembanyama, who would have won the Defensive Player of the Year award if not for his season-ending blood clot. He still led the league in blocks despite not playing after the All-Star Weekend.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets suffered a heart-breaking Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, and the team’s disappointing defeat has only left more questions than answers going into the offseason.
Denver fired then-head coach Michael Malone before the 2025 playoffs and promoted David Adelman to interim coach, who is now officially the team’s new head coach. General manager Calvin Booth was let go as well.
To make matters worse, Denver is facing a salary cap crisis with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon accounting for 82% of its total payroll.
Although Denver’s cap situation might not be ideal for a veteran player like Julius Randle, no one knows what the future may hold for Jokic, who is eligible for a three-year, $212.2 million extension the day after the NBA Finals end.
His $65.5 million salary in the first year replaces the player option in 2027-28 and keeps him in Denver through the 2029-30 season.
The Nuggets are also a first apron team since they are $4.7 million over the apron and not allowed to use more than 100% of the traded player exception, per Marks.
Denver could get some savings if Russell Westbrook declines his $3.3 million player option and then re-signs for the veteran minimum exception. Westbrook and Dario Saric have until June 29 to opt in to their deal for next season.
But none of this will matter in the long run if either Murray or Porter decide to ask for a trade. Star players want out every offseason. That would open the door for Randle to work out a fair deal with the organization. He could also take less money for a chance to win a title.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors’ offseason is centered around Jonathan Kuminga, a restricted free agent who plays a huge role in how much cap flexibility the team will have this summer. Without him on the roster, Golden State is $17.5 million below the luxury tax. The Warriors are $25.5 million and $37 million below both aprons.
According to Marks, they are allowed to use their $14.1 million non-tax midlevel exception but would not be allowed to exceed the first apron once the roster is filled out. Draymond Green also signed a four-year contract in 2023 and is now eligible to tack on an additional two years ($36.3 and $39.2 million, respectively) to his existing deal.
It would appear as if the Warriors are all set in the backcourt, but that could change if they lose Gary Payton II to free agency. Golden State mainly needs a mobile lob threat, a consistent third scorer to replace Andrew Wiggins, frontcourt depth, and potentially a reserve guard. Julius Randle would fit the bill on two of those needs.
Adding veteran center Steven Adams and Randle this offseason would help upgrade the roster. Enhancing depth at various positions should be one of Golden State’s top priorities, considering Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler are now more susceptible to injuries at their respective ages.
