The Minnesota Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals last season. However, they decided to break up their core and traded away Karl-Anthony Towns in return for Julius Randle. Given that neither one of them had a reputation for being reliable, fans wondered if this move would help Minnesota.
Randle has been unable to display his true impact on the team and has missed the last 13 games. Minnesota fans may feel good to hear that Randle is on the verge of making a return. What’s the latest update on his injury and the Timberwolves’ performance in his absence?
Timberwolves’ Julius Randle Returns After Losing Record in His Absence
Although 13 games is a small sample size, the fact remains that the Timberwolves have lost eight games and won five without Randle. Given that some of those losses came to low-standing teams like the Washington Wizards, there is no denying that the Timberwolves are a fluctuant team, to say the least.
According to reports, Randle missed the last month due to a groin injury. Since Rudy Gobert has also been dealing with a back injury, the Timberwolves have not been at full strength over the past few weeks.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Julius Randle (groin) intends to make his return tonight against the Phoenix Suns after being sidelined the past 13 games, league sources tell me. pic.twitter.com/xpn3bSYtdr
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 2, 2025
NBA insider Chris Haynes confirmed that Randle would make a return for the upcoming game against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, March 2. As things stand, the Timberwolves hold the ninth spot in the West (32-29) and are two positions and 3.5 games above the Suns (28-32).
As a result, this is expected to be a tight matchup between two teams that are desperate to improve their record. Since Randle had significant time to rest and recover, his impact and performance on the court are not expected to decline upon return.
Given that the Suns would not even qualify for the play-in tournament if the season ended today, they will do everything in their power to get this win against the Timberwolves. Fans are left wondering which team will end up winning and whether Randle’s return will ignite a fire of some form for the Timberwolves.
