Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a new deal that could keep him with the club through the 2027-28 season, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Sunday.
The final year of the deal will be at Randle's option and, if it is exercised, could push the total value of the contract to $100 million, the person said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side announced the agreement. ESPN and The Athletic first reported the agreement.
Randle had a $30.9 million player option for next season and could have been an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
He averaged 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season, his first with the Timberwolves, and helped the team make the Western Conference finals. Randle was one of the primary pieces in the trade last fall that sent Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota to New York. Randle had spent five seasons with the Knicks before that trade.
A three-time All-Star, Randle has averaged 19 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in 11 seasons with the Timberwolves, Knicks, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The deal with Randle was the second critical decision for the Timberwolves this offseason, following an agreement Friday with Naz Reid on a reported five-year, $125 million contract after Reid declined his $15 million option.
Reid, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the 2023-24 season, has played his entire six-year career with the Timberwolves after going undrafted out of LSU. The 25-year-old fan favorite averaged career highs in the 2024-25 season of 27.5 minutes, 14.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
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FILE - Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle stands on the court during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball Western Conference Finals playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, May 26, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, file)
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.
Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.
Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.
Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.
Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.
Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."
Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.
Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."
Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”
Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.
The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.
Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)
Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)
Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)
