Julius Randle, a Minnesota Timberwolves forward, had a poor performance in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs series against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring just 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting and missing bunnies at the rim.
May 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle dribbles against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half during game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Target Center.
| Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images The Timberwolves need more from Julius Randle if they're going to come back from their 2-1 deficit and win this second-round series against the San Antonio Spurs. If they don't get it, they may have to seriously ponder moving on from the three-time All-Star forward this summer.
Outside of a vicious dunk in the second quarter, Randle was nowhere to be found in the Wolves' Game 3 loss to the Spurs on Friday night at Target Center. He scored just 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting. He missed some bunnies at the rim and all five shots he took outside of the paint. He had six rebounds, no assists, and two turnovers.
On a night where Anthony Edwards, on two banged-up knees, tried to put the Wolves on his back to overcome a huge Victor Wembanyama performance, offensive no-shows from Randle and Jaden McDaniels It's easier to excuse a tough shooting night for McDaniels because of what he provides on the defensive end of the floor. He's had some big games in these playoffs, backing up his talk against the Nuggets in round one and closing them out with 32 and 10 while Edwards was sidelined in Game 6.
McDaniels is locked in as one of Edwards' top running mates for years to come, barring something stunning like a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The same can't be said of Randle. He too has had some solid games in this postseason. But he's been more hot-and-cold than you'd like from a No. 2 option, and he hasn't found the same overall success he experienced in the first two rounds of last year's playoffs.
Through nine games against the Nuggets and Spurs, Randle has averaged 17.8 points on 41 percent shooting . He has 29 assists and 28 turnovers, and he's never exactly been known for his defense. When Randle is on his game, he's a load for defenses to deal with. He can bully his way to the rim or fade away for the short midrange shot that is his bread and butter.
He's a good rebounder and playmaker who averaged at least five assists this season for the fourth time in the last six years. Despite shooting just 31.5 percent from three this season, RandleThe big issue with Randle is consistency. You don't always know what you're going to get from him on the offensive end of the floor. You don't always know what you're going to get from him in terms of effort on the defensive end.
That can be frustrating, especially when it happens in the playoffs. There's still time for Randle to bounce back and be a reason why the Wolves reach the Western Conference Finals for a third straight year. But it has to happen right away, starting in a must-win Game 4 on Sunday night. If he plays like he did on Friday, Minnesota has little chance.
If he doesn't turn things around and the Wolves' season ends in this round, Tim Connelly and his staff will have to have some real conversations about what Randle's future in Minnesota looks like. He's set to make $33.3 million next season and has a $35.8 million player option in 2027-28. That's a movable contract if the Wolves decide they need to go in a different direction. The rest of this series could make or break Randle's Timberwolves future.
They need him to rise to the moment and prove that he's someone they can win a title with, whether or not they actually go all the way this year. If he can't do it, the Wolves will need to explore the possibility of finding a better fit and a more consistent player to pair with Edwards, McDaniels, and the rest of their core. Loading recommendations...
Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsWill Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism.
During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.
Minnesota Timberwolves Julius Randle San Antonio Spurs 2026 NBA Playoffs Game 3 Shooting Rebounds Assists Turnovers Anthony Edwards Victor Wembanyama Jaden Mcdaniels
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