Julius Randle ended his first season with the Minnesota Timberwolves with a near-trip to the NBA Finals. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder got in the way of a potential Wolves vs. Pacers matchup for the championship.
That said, Randle gave fans in Minnesota plenty to be excited about. He averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in his first year with the team, and provided a major frontcourt boost, also capable of knocking down threes.
However, with the Timberwolves seeming unable to achieve their first-ever NBA Finals appearance, the team is part of the recent hot trade rumors involving superstar Kevin Durant.
Minnesota is one of the main suitors for a deal with the Phoenix Suns, as first mentioned by ESPN's NBA Insider Shams Charania on The Pat McAfee Show. With that, Randle's name has popped up in trade speculation as someone who might need to be included in a swap for KD.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30).
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30).
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
As those rumors continued to swirl these past few days, Randle appeared to be living his best life. The Wolves' forward and his wife, Kendra, recently shared their Instagram family vacation photos and video, but not from Cancun.
The couple visited gorgeous Lake Como, Italy, with their three children, and seemed to be having a blast. A fun boat video featuring their son Kyden set to Drake's Nokia became a viral hit on ESPN's TikTok with over 234,000 likes.
In addition to Kyden, born in December 2016, the Randles have a second son, Jaycey, born in October 2021. In April, the couple welcomed their third child and first daughter, Romi Joelle, who joined them on this recent Italy trek.
According to Pro Football Network, Kendra shared multiple photos on her Instagram Stories as the couple enjoyed daquiris, luxury shopping, and soaked up the beautiful Italian scenery with their kids.
The offseason could see Julius Randle on the move out of Minnesota, whether its through his player option to enter free agency or a blockbuster deal between the Timberwolves and Suns.
He wasn't mentioned by ESPN's Dave McMenamin in his speculative Wolves trade for Kevin Durant. Instead, he suggested it would be Randle's frontcourt mate Rudy Gobert heading to Phoenix to make the salaries work out for the deal.
A deal is likely to happen closer to the NBA Draft, and it might not even involve the Timberwolves. Other potential KD landing spots include Miami, Houston, San Antonio, and New York.
Meanwhile, Randle is all about enjoying his offseason with family ahead of getting back to business with basketball.