That is a big enough slot to be able to absorb contracts like that of Boston’s Derrick White or Orlando’s Jalen Suggs in a trade, but Minnesota’s relatively bare asset cupboard makes such a move unlikely.
In the present, the Wolves opened up the space on their payroll to re-sign guard Ayo Dosunmu, with whom the team struck an agreement on a five-year, $112 million deal late Monday evening. Because of the Randle trade, Minnesota can now do that while also maintaining access to its mid-level exception.
Randle had success in Minnesota. After coming to the Wolves via the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Randle played a major role in Minnesota’s run to the Western Conference Finals in 2025 — after which Minnesota inked the forward to a three-year deal last summer — and played at an all-star level for the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
But he struggled mightily against the conference’s elite competition — namely the team’s last two series losses to Oklahoma City and San Antonio — and did experience emotional ups and downs as his play waxed and waned.
The combined ball dominance of Randle and Edwards frequently stagnated Minnesota’s offensive attack. It was also difficult for Minnesota to find consistent success with a Randle-Rudy Gobert front court pairing when Randle started to struggle with his outside shot.
His departure frees up the starting power forward spot, which Naz Reid will slide into for the first time in his career, and frees up reserve minutes for Joan Beringer, who the Wolves selected with the No. 17 pick in last year’s NBA Draft.
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