Kings and Timberwolves Swap All-Stars in NBA Trade Idea

The NBA season is barely over as the New York Knicks host the championship trophy, but the rumor mill is already going strong throughout the league with the June 23rd NBA draft quickly approaching. While the draft is the main topic, especially for the Sacramento Kings as they hope to find their next star with the seventh pick, the trade rumor mill is churning as well now that the finals are over.

A player who could be on the move this offseason, according to ClutchPoints Brett Siegel, is Julius Randle. In his latest roundup, Siegel wrote that the Timberwolves could look to make a big move this offseason to switch out Randle for another All-Star.

"Many rival scouts have pointed to Julius Randle being packaged with DiVincenzo and the 28th pick for an established All-Star-like talent to pair with Edwards, but the Wolves' primary targets like Giannis, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving don't appear to be plausible options at the moment"

We continue our big week of draft content here on @ClutchPoints with all of the latest intel I'm hearing with the 1st round of the NBA Draft less than a week away.

New notes on the debate for No. 1, Mikel Brown Jr.'s rise, and much more on so many teams. https://t.co/7Zfpb9wTRL
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 17, 2026

The term All-Star-like talent is interesting and creates an opening for the Sacramento Kings to get involved with a potential trade, sending out one of their former All-Stars.

Sacramento Kings Receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, #28 Pick

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Domantas Sabonis, Devin Carter

Why the Timberwolves Do It

Nov 9, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) calls a play during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

On the surface, this seems like a lateral move for the Timberwolves, but when it comes to team building and balancing out the roster, it makes sense. Randle is more of a scoring big, while Sabonis is a better facilitator and screener. Pairing him with Anthony Edwards would allow Edwards to continue to be the lead scorer in a similar role we saw between De'Aaron Fox and Sabonis.

In addition, it's long been said that Sabonis needs to be paired with a shot-blocking big to be most successful, and it's hard to find anyone better than Rudy Gobert. Sabonis could slide back to the power forward position, while also filling in at the center spot for certain matchups or while Gobert sits.

The talent may be marginal, but the fit could make all the difference for Minnesota going forward. Sabonis is also a year and a half younger than Randle, which could be enough of a difference for them to pull the trigger on the deal.

In this hypothetical, the Timberwolves also get Devin Carter as an addition to offset losing their late first-round pick from this season. Their depth at point guard is gone with the roster as is, and Carter still has enough potential to be given a shot in the NBA after a strong late-season push last year.

Why the Kings Do It

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles the ball as Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) defends — Dec 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) dribbles the ball as Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) plays defense in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

For the Kings, they aren't getting back any young players or a bevy of picks for Sabonis, but getting back an All-Star talent in Randle and a rotational player in DiVincenzo isn't the worst thing in the world. Both are theoretically tradeable to collect assets in future trades, but they would also give the Kings an interesting roster heading into the season.

Last year, Randle averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 48.1% from the field and 31.5% from three. He's a polarizing player, but there's no denying that he's talented. It's also important to remember that Scott Perry was the New York Knicks GM when they signed him in free agency.

The Kings would also save just under five million dollars for next season, while gaining a $12.5 million expiring contract in DiVincenzo that they could reroute this offseason or at the trade deadline. The Kings and DiVincenzo have an interesting history, with the guard and his camp feeling like the Kings tanked his value heading into free agency, so it's hard to say if he would even be open to coming back to Sacramento.

Add in that the Kings get another shot in the dark with the 28th pick, and it's an intriguing trade package for Sabonis. It may not be the dream scenario that many fans have of collecting assets, but it feels like that ship has sailed for Sabonis. A starting lineup of the seventh pick at point guard, Nique Clifford, Keegan Murray, Randle, and Maxime Raynaud would at least be exciting and different heading into next season.

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