After the New York Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, sending Julius Randle in return, Randle’s wife, Kendra, shared a TikTok video expressing her reaction to the trade.
In a TikTok video on Tuesday, Kendra discussed the changes in their lives since learning about Julius Randle’s first trade in his 11-year NBA career, highlighting “the hardest part” of the transition.
“Touch up my hair and makeup with me while I tell you guys what it’s like to be traded from an NBA team as a first timer,” Julius Randle’s wife said in the beginning of her video.
The Timberwolves-Knicks trade that shook the Randle Family
A trade as significant as the one made by the Timberwolves and the Knicks last Friday can surprise everyone involved, including the players’ families. Often, fans forget the effects such a deal has on a player’s wife, girlfriend, or children. Moving across the country with little warning and uprooting a personal life is a considerable challenge for anyone.
Reports first emerged last Friday about the trade between the Knicks and Timberwolves, just days before training camp began. The deal was officially finalized on Tuesday, with the Charlotte Hornets sending James Nnaji to the Knicks.
The Hornets acquired three second-round picks—two from New York and one from Minnesota—along with DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown, Duane Washington Jr., and $7.2 million in cash.
“I’m really grateful that it’s actually not in the middle of the season, like before the deadline or whatever. But it has been pretty crazy for our first time and unexpected,” Kendra continued.
“And I’m not gonna lie, when we heard Minnesota it was pretty shocking, although we were ready to leave New York,” she added. “Living in a condo with two kids is so hard. I don’t care what anyone says. It was a great experience, but we were already looking to move outside the city. It was just getting so hard and overwhelming for us because my husband is from Texas and I’m from Kentucky and that’s just not how we grew up.”
A big change for Julius and Kendra Randle’s sons
Kendra shared that their sons, Kyden, 7, and 2-year-old Jayce, are thrilled about this new chapter in the Midwest, although they have faced some challenges.
“The hardest part by far was telling our 7-year-old that he had to leave his school and friends. That was the hardest conversation and honestly the hardest part for Julius and I too [was] leaving that community. That school is incredible [and] the parents,” said Mrs. Randle.
“Everyone is just so sad that he is leaving,” Kendra remarked. “So that’s the really hard part about the NBA and the family aspect of it is that it affects all of the kids, the whole family — and they have to uproot their life.”
“As adults we can deal with it and move on but for kids it’s really tough. So now this is kind of the first time that we are understanding and living it. That is by far the hardest part. Other than that we’re super blessed and can just deal with it and have the means to go and do it. So I don’t really have any complaints, I’m just super grateful for this new chapter for our family.”
Kendra and Julius Randle’s trip to Minnesota
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Kendra then shared that she and Julius traveled to Minnesota by plane the day after the trade to find a home and schools for their sons while their New York home was being packed.
“When we got here, we were driving around, and I’m like, ‘these neighborhoods are gorgeous,’ like, we love it. It’s so beautiful, the people are so nice. There’s so many nice restaurants, it’s just things that you wouldn’t know.”
People from outside Minnesota may feel hesitant about a location known for its harsh winter cold but the Randles are up to the challenge.
“I know it gets cold, but it’s cold in New York too, and I’ve heard they make the most of the snow here. So we’re really excited for a new switch up, a new chapter for our family.”
Last season, Randle averaged 28.7 points per game, shooting 47.9%, including 40.1% from beyond the arc, along with 6.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds. Unfortunately, he dislocated his shoulder on January 27 and missed the rest of the season.
He had successful surgery in April and is on track to return for the beginning of the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season. Randle will team up with Rudy Gobert in the frontcourt and a rising star in Anthony Edwards.
