Nets trade Nic Claxton to Bulls, receive Julius Randle from T’Wolves

The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2025-26 NBA season with a 20-62 record that made it clear that the team had a long way to go to improve before next season. While Brooklyn has been allowing everyone to speculate when it comes to who they will be taking with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they have also decided to make waves before the event even begins.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday night that the Nets traded center Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal in which they received forward Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Assuming that the details are final as of this writing, the Timberwolves received the No. 33 pick from the Nets while the Bulls appear to have just received Claxton.

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Claxton, 27, is coming off one of the best seasons of his seven-year career as he averaged 11.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 57.1% from the field and 61.6% from the free-throw line. Over the course of a tough rebuilding season, Claxton showed more of his ability to pass the basketball as one of the hubs within head coach Jordi Fernandez’s offense and now, he’ll try to be that kind of player for the Bulls.

Randle, 31, had a solid season for Minnesota as he averaged 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 48.1% from the floor and 31.5% from deep. For his ability, Randle is on a fairly-valuable contract as he is due $69 million over the next two years and while he would be the oldest player on the roster, he could provide a veteran presence while showing the ropes to the younger players on the team.

With Brooklyn getting the No. 28 pick, it’s fair to wonder who they will be targeting with the pick given they have been connected to players expected to be taken early in the Lottery. Even someone like Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., whom the Nets recently brought in for a workout, is generally expected to be taken closer to the Lottery than the second round. For context, Bleacher Report’s consensus mock draft has Duke guard Isaiah Evans being taken with the No. 28 pick.