Kendrick Perkins is the latest to call for Julius Randle’s trade following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff exit at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Timberwolves were eliminated on Friday after losing Game 6 of the series. Media analysts and fans have singled out Randle, criticizing him for his performance. Speaking on ESPN’s First Take on Monday, Perkins urged the Timberwolves to trade Randle at all costs.
“I would trade Julius Randle. I don’t give a damn if it’s for some fried catfish and a pot of gumbo,” Perkins said. “I would get him out of my locker room, because… he has become a cancer.”
Randle reacted to Perkins’ comments with a message on Instagram.
“Of course, you relate everything to food,” Randle wrote.
Randle averaged 21.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 5.0 apg, shooting 48.1%. Fans celebrated Randle’s performance in the playoffs last season after the Timberwolves reached the conference finals with him averaging 21.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 4.9 apg, shooting 50.2%, including 38.5% from 3-point range.
The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski wrote that coaches and teammates believe Randle’s rough stretch in the playoffs was connected to his name being included in trade rumors:
“Randle, in particular, went through a rough stretch of performances that coaches and teammates believed were directly connected to his name being bandied about in trade rumors.”
Julius Randle skips exit interview after poor performance in Timberwolves’ playoff exit
Julius Randle refused to show up for his exit interview after the San Antonio Spurs ended the Timberwolves’ season on Friday. Randle struggled in what became his final game of the season, finishing Game 6 with three points and seven rebounds, shooting 1-for-8.
Randle has faced criticism from fans, dating back to his time with the New York Knicks, with many calling him a “playoff dropper.” His production did drop off in the Western Conference semifinals against the Spurs.
He averaged 12.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in six games, shooting just 34.2% against San Antonio. Anthony Edwards kept up his production against the Spurs, recording 23.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, shooting 46.9%.
The Timberwolves have a few avenues of improvement to consider ahead of the 2026-27 season. They could look for a true point guard this season instead of sticking to Donte DiVincenzo and 38-year-old Mike Conley in the backcourt. Alternatively, Minnesota could look to improve its frontcourt, with Randle being an obvious trade asset.
He has $69.1 million left on his contract over the next two seasons and also has a player option for 2027-28. Randle’s name was floated in multiple high-profile trade rumors, particularly in discussions surrounding the Timberwolves’ pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In hindsight, the Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle trade has worked better for the New York Knicks. They are in the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive time with Towns as their No. 2 option behind Jalen Brunson.
Towns has been productive in the team’s postseason runs, averaging 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 28 playoff games since the 2024-25 season.
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