Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is expecting to have a pair of bigs back in Minneapolis next season after falling short in the Western Conference finals for a second straight year.
During an appearance on KFAN's The Paul Allen Show on Tuesday, Finch confirmed that he expects Naz Reid and Julius Randle to be back in Minnesota next season. Both players have a player option for the upcoming 2025-26 season and are candidates to sign new deals this offseason.
"Absolutely, yes. Both players want to be [in Minnesota]," Connelly said. "That's first and foremost the most important thing. We certainly want them there. I know [president of basketball operations] Tim Connelly is working hard to make sure that they get some sort of deals done that'll make them happy and want to stay and feel gratitude that the team is taking care of them."
Finch did not mention his thoughts on the future of guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the other notable Timberwolves player set to hit free agency this summer.
Of course, the 55-year-old coach saying he expects Reid and Randle to be back doesn't guarantee they will be back next year. But it's worth noting that, as of June, the Timberwolves envision both players as key parts to their core alongside Anthony Edwards.
Reid, a fan favorite in Minnesota, has a $15 million player option left on his deal that he has said he plans to decline in search of a new deal in free agency. That new contract, of course, could come together in Minnesota even if he declines the player option.
Randle, on the other hand, owns a $30.9 million player option for next season. Arriving in Minnesota in the New York Knicks' trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, it took Randle months to get settled and find a steady role within the Timberwolves' offense. After struggling through injury and poor play for much of the year, Randle helped lead the Wolves to a 17-4 finish to the regular season and steered them into the Western Conference finals, where they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Timberwolves Coach Lays Out Expectations for Futures of Naz Reid, Julius Randle.
