The Minnesota Timberwolves kickstarted the 2025 NBA free agency period by giving Naz Reid a whopping five-year, $125 million extension. Still far from done, the Timberwolves now seem to be turning their attention to three-time All-Star Julius Randle, but not Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

After extending Reid, Randle is the Minnesota front office's top priority, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer via The Stein Line. However, their focus on Reid and Randle likely leaves impending free agent Alexander-Walker out of the picture.

“Reid is unlikely to be the only marquee free agent returning to Minnesota,” Fischer wrote. “There's growing belief that Julius Randle will be next in striking a long-term agreement to sign with the Timberwolves as well. Those highly anticipated returns of Reid and Randle, however, have increasingly painted Alexander-Walker as the free agent man out in Minnesota.”

Randle has a $31 million player option for the 2025-2026 season. He could opt into that deal, but likely wants a long-term contract similar to the one Reid just signed.

Alexander-Walker, who raked in just $4.3 million in 2024-2025, will be an unrestricted free agent once the window opens. Despite expressing interest in returning to Minnesota, he will likely receive bigger deals from opposing teams that the Timberwolves will not be able to match.

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Timberwolves looking to keep core together in free agency

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The Timberwolves have made a flurry of offseason moves over the past few years, but are not looking to keep their core together. Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are all signed through the 2027-2028 season, with Edwards and McDaniels inked through 2028-2029. Extending Randle would give them five core players signed for at least the next three seasons.

Coming off an eventful 2024 offseason, Minnesota only had a few marquee moves to make in the 2025 free agency period. Should the team extend Randle, Alexander-Walker would be its only loss. While painful, the Timberwolves would ideally replace his production in 2025-2026 with one of Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham or Leonard Miller, who all impressed in limited opportunities.

The Timberwolves also added Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky in the 2025 NBA Draft. Neither will likely be contributing role players in 2025-2026, but they give Minnesota two more intriguing long-term prospects to stash behind a few of its aging veterans.