Nets land Julius Randle in a three-team deal, send Nic Claxton to Chicago
On the eve of the draft, Brooklyn acquires Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick; Nic Claxton heads to the Bulls and Minnesota takes Brooklyn's No. 33 pick.
Nets receive
- ↓ Julius Randle (PF)
- ↓ 2026 No. 28 pick — 1st round
Nets send
- ↑ Nic Claxton (C)
- ↑ 2026 No. 33 pick — 2nd round
On the eve of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Nets made their first big swing of the offseason: Brooklyn is acquiring three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick from Minnesota in a three-team trade, with starting center Nic Claxton heading to the Chicago Bulls and the Timberwolves taking Brooklyn's No. 33 pick — per ESPN's Shams Charania.
For the Nets, it's a flexibility play that turns cap space into talent. Randle averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists on a strong 58.5% true shooting across 79 games for Minnesota in 2025-26 — a downhill, playmaking power forward who gives Brooklyn another shot-creator alongside Michael Porter Jr. on a young roster that badly needed offense.
It isn't free. Brooklyn parts with Nic Claxton — its best interior defender and longest-tenured rotation piece — leaving a real hole at the rim. The Nets do upgrade their second selection, moving from No. 33 up to No. 28, and now head into Tuesday's draft holding picks 6 and 28.
The cap math: Randle's 2026-27 hit is a confirmed $33.3M (3yr/$100M, with a $35.8M player option for 2027-28) against Claxton's $23.1M — a net +$10.2M that trims Brooklyn's projected room from about $31M to roughly $21M. Still real spending money. On the other sides, Minnesota sheds salary to retain free agents like Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland, while Chicago adds a rim-protecting center in Claxton.
Julius Randle — 2025-26 (Minnesota)
| Games | 79 |
| Points / G | 21.1 |
| Rebounds / G | 6.7 |
| Assists / G | 5.0 |
| Steals / G | 1.1 |
| Blocks / G | 0.2 |
| True Shooting % | 58.5% |