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Jon Krawczynski: But in the last week to 10 days, there have been more and more signs coming out of Dallas that Kyrie is going to stay there; that the Mavericks want Kyrie to play alongside Cooper Flagg; that Kyrie really enjoys being in Dallas; and that he wants to stay there. It did seem like he has found some kind of comfort and tranquility there, so that makes sense. So while I believe that, if the Wolves were going to trade for Kyrie Irving, yes, maybe it would be Julius Randle, a first-round pick, and something else to get Kyrie—versus needing eight different pieces to get Giannis—I just think that is looking more and more unlikely at this point. What exactly the Timberwolves do to address their ball handling is something we’ll have to see. But the Kyrie Irving steam has definitely been reduced by quite a bit, and at this point, I would be very surprised if a Kyrie Irving deal got done.
NBA Base: Chris Finch calls out NBA media and fans for "overreactions" on Julius Randle and Chet Holmgren: "Julius was really good for us in the Denver series... Now we see Chet Holmgren is no good. I can't stand these overreactions... I turn my TV off in the morning during the playoffs. I don't want to hear it."
Chris Finch: "I felt that going into Game 6, we tried to make some adjustments that were clearly not right. I kicked myself for doing it, just because I felt we didn't probably need to be as extreme. I flipped the matchups around. We put Rudy Gobert on Castle, and we started with Julius Randle on Victor Wembanyama, trying to mitigate Wembanyama's hot starts. We did a good job, but then Castle got loose on us. It wasn't a scheme that we were overly comfortable with. We've done it from time to time, and it maybe just wouldn't have been the time to do it."
Darren Wolfson: "If I had to wager, Julius Randle above Rudy Gobert. Be careful what you wish for. You just laid it out, all the success. We know, Rudy is an incredible floor raiser. That's why there's value."
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Andrew Dukowitz: Julius was the only rotation guy not to do an exit interview, that’s all I can say lol
The most obvious avenue for the Timberwolves to look at a major change is in the frontcourt. Julius Randle ($33 million), Gobert ($36.5 million) and Reid ($23.3 million) are set to be paid almost $95 million next season. Randle and Gobert have two more years left on their contracts while Reid is signed through 2029-30. Gobert turns 34 in June, and Randle will be 32 in November, with the clock ticking on their ability to surround Edwards (24), McDaniels (25) and Reid (26) in the Timberwolves’ young core.
Keerthika Uthayakumar: Biggest scoring drops in the playoffs in an All-Star year Wilt: 50.4 to 35.0 in 1961-62 (-15.4) Jalen Duren: 19.5 to 10.1 this year (-9.4) Elgin Baylor: 24.8 to 15.4 in 1968-69 (-9.4) Flynn Robinson: 21.8 to 12.8 in 1969-70 (-9.0) Julius Randle: 25.1 to 16.6 in 2022-23 (-8.5)
Dane Moore: Asked Rudy Gobert about the team having had more success with him next Naz Reid than next to Julius Randle thus far in this series, and what can be better in the minutes he plays next to Randle. "I think no matter what, we have to stay physical, we have to stay focused on the gameplan. We have to keep bringing the effort. And then offensively, I think a lot of it is spacing... Keep trusting one another, keep spacing for one another, keep screening for one another, keep running for one another."
Anthony Slater: Three problems Timberwolves are trying to correct in Game 6 *Attacking the double teams against Anthony Edwards *Jaden McDaniels ill-timed foul trouble *Julius Randle’s slump (36% FG, eight assists, 18 turnovers in series)
Three problems Timberwolves are trying to correct in Game 6
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 14, 2026
*Attacking the double teams against Anthony Edwards
*Jaden McDaniels ill-timed foul trouble
*Julius Randle’s slump (36% FG, eight assists, 18 turnovers in series) pic.twitter.com/UROS5CHc38
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ALL NBA Podcast: The Wolves are getting just 0.85 points per direct touch from Julius Randle these playoffs. That's the second-worst mark in the Tracking Era for a player with 300+ direct touches in a single playoff run.
The Wolves are getting just 0.85 points per direct touch from Randle these playoffs. That's the second-worst mark in the Tracking Era for a player with 300+ direct touches in a single playoff run pic.twitter.com/4aDr3rIrGw
— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) May 13, 2026
Anthony Slater: Timberwolves get rolled in Game 5. They've lost last two in San Antonio by 67 combined points. Shot below 40% tonight. Julius Randle is now 26-of-71 FG (36%) in series. Anthony Edwards (41, 40, 39 minutes the last three) can use the two-day break. G6 Friday in Minnesota.
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle is one of the league's best defenders, often tasked with checking the other team's best player. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, that would be Anthony Edwards. While Castle has spent plenty of time harassing him in the first four games of the series he's spent a little more time on a less likely assignment. According to the NBA's matchup tracking data, the Wolf that San Antonio's second-year star has bothered the most is veteran big man Julius Randle. "He's very physical, it's a tough matchup," Castle said in the locker room after Game 4. "He's more of a four, you know, a bigger player. So he uses his body a lot."
"I feel like the toughest thing with him is keeping him off the glass and trying not to foul, you know, trying to combat his physicality," Caste said afterward. "He asserts, he hits first on offense. Just trying to withstand that without fouling is probably the toughest part."
