Nets trade for Julius Randle in three-team deal in pre-NBA draft stunner
The Nets — who always seem to deal right before draft night — have been looking to add a second first-round pick and another veteran scorer. They pulled off both, landing Julius Randle and the 28th pick for Nic Claxton and No. 33 in a three-team swap.
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The Nets — one of the few teams in the league with ample cap space — used it to acquire Randle, a two-time All-NBA forward and three-time All-Star. They also moved up from the top of the second round into the bottom of the first in a loaded draft, and potentially opened a starting spot for Day’Ron Sharpe.
GM Sean Marks shipped Claxton to Chicago, and since the Bulls are acquiring the center with cap space, the deal — first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post — can’t be finalized until July 6. The Nets will keep the No. 6 overall pick — likely to be used on a lead guard — and also have Nos. 28 and 43.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Randle was just one year into a three-year, $100 million deal with Minnesota, but the Timberwolves were desperate to free up cap space to re-sign guard Ayo Dosunmu (and a starting spot for Naz Reid). Now the former Knick — who spent five years in the Garden — comes back to New York.
Michael Porter Jr. shouldered the burden of being Brooklyn’s lone reliable scorer last season. Randle averaged 21.1 points and 6.7 rebounds in 79 games.
With Randle earning $33.3 million this season and having a player option of $35.8 million next season, Brooklyn increased its payroll by $13 million. They’ll still maintain $20.2 million in room left, per cap guru Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron, and have the $9.4 million room mid-level to spend afterward.
Brooklyn now has 15 first-round picks through 2033, including two Tuesday.
Two among Louisville’s Mikel Brown, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. should still be on the board at No. 6. But with Wagler likely to be off the board, Brown — with deep range, an elite passing bag and a risk-taking mentality that must get reined in — has had at least three meetings and one workout with the Nets.
“Yeah, it’s definitely a relationship built there,” Brown said. “Talking with them constantly, with Mr. Marks and Coach Jordi [Fernández], the biggest thing that he emphasized — if I get selected to go there — is building that relationship with Jordi.
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“At the end of the day, you’ve got to have a great connection from point guard to point guard. [Fernández] played point guard as well. So to be able to pick his brain on a lot of things and learn his system and to be able to come in and make an impact right away was big.”
Ex-Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks — now an ESPN insider — told The Post that taking three first-round guards last year shouldn’t deter them from taking another, because that’s where the value sits at No. 6. He also said they might be best suited using cap space in trades rather than signings, and that’s exactly what they did.
Acuff has both visited with and worked out for the Nets and is the most polished offensive guard in the class, but his defense is a concern. Wagler worked out for the Bulls (who have the fourth pick) and the Clippers (who’ll select fifth), then canceled a scheduled workout for Brooklyn.
“Just hearing from them and kind of just knowing where I stood, I kind of knew I didn’t need to work out,” said Wagler.
Brown said he would be excited to land with the Nets.
“It’d mean a lot. Big city. It’s the big city, bright lights. A lot of big-time names come out of Brooklyn, so to be able to represent that means a lot,” said Brown.
“I would handle it. I’m very calm and down to earth. I’m about this basketball stuff. I keep the main thing the main thing. The focus is to try to win a championship.”
St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor, Texas wing Dailyn Swain or Houston forward Chris Cenac Jr. — who said of joining the Nets, “I think it would be great, I love New York City” — could be targets at No. 28.
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