According to a report by veteran NBA reporter Brett Siegel on Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves' current plan is to sign a star guard. To achieve this goal, they are not ruling out trading Julius Randle before the trade deadline in February.

The Timberwolves have had a good start to the season, ranking seventh in the Western Conference with a 10-8 record after 18 rounds. However, the Timberwolves have also exposed some problems: most of the team's assists come from power forward Julius Randle, rather than starting guard Donte DiVincenzo or backup point guard Mike Conley.

To provide more consistent support for Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves have prioritized strengthening their backcourt. Seager also mentioned several potential targets for the Timberwolves in his column: first, 25-year-old Darius Garland, whose value the Timberwolves have inquired about with the Cleveland Cavaliers since last season; and second, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, whom the Timberwolves believe is capable of handling the backcourt organization and playmaking duties.

The last player discussed was Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Timberwolves recently discussed a potential trade for Morant with Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman, but the latter's stance was very clear: they are not considering trading Morant this season unless the player himself requests a trade.

Regardless of their ultimate target, if a suitable star guard emerges before February 2026, the Timberwolves will undoubtedly use Randle as a key trade asset. However, the Timberwolves do not possess any first-round picks available for immediate trade, which will severely limit their options in pursuing a top-tier guard.

The 31-year-old Randle was the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft. He previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, and New York Knicks. Since joining the Timberwolves in October 2024, he has played 87 regular-season games, averaging 19.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.