Julius Randle Shares Honest Feelings on Return to New York After Knicks Trade

It's barely been two weeks since Julius Randle's life and career was upended by a stunning blockbuster trade from the New York Knicks to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The three-time All-Star has yet to even suit up for Minnesota during preseason action, still waiting for a full recovery from April surgery on his right shoulder before re-taking the floor.

Randle is back in New York City on Sunday regardless, though, set to watch the Timberwolves take on his former team in his initial return to Madison Square Garden as an opponent—a new reality to which he's clearly still adjusting .

"It’s fun," Randle said of coming back to New York, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. "Different (laughs). It’s different than the last five years. It still feels like I’m a resident because it’s just so soon, coming to the Garden and all that type of stuff. But it’s cool. It’s cool."

The Timberwolves and Knicks rocked the NBA in late September, agreeing to a trade that sent Randle and elite role-playing guard Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in exchange for star big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Randle, unlikely to play in Sunday's preseason game, is slated to start at power forward for the Timberwolves in 2024-25.

While Minnesota certainly had major financial incentive to offload Towns' massive contract, bringing in Randle and DiVincenzo also improves the team's depth and should lighten the heavy scoring and playmaking burden on rising superstar Anthony Edwards.

If he is indeed inactive against the Knicks, expect Randle to make his Timberwolves debut on Wednesday or Thursday versus the Chicago Bulls or Denver Nuggets, Minnesota's final exhibition matchups before the regular season tips off on Oct. 22.

Related: Julius Randle's Wife Turns Heads With First Post After Blockbuster Trade