The Brooklyn Nets are inching toward the start of their 2026-27 season, and one of the quieter offseason additions may end up saying plenty about where this team is headed. After Brooklyn traded for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, Two-Way forward Chaney Johnson was quick to point out what the veteran can add beyond the box score.
“Just getting to meet Julius Randle and being around him a lot more... For sure just brings a grit that we need,” Johnson said during his appearance on "The Brooklyn Boys" podcast with NetsDaily's Connor Long.
Johnson discussed a range of Nets topics on the show, but his comments about Randle stood out because they lined up so cleanly with what head coach Jordi Fernandez asks from his players.
“Jordi is like a hard-nosed, dive on the floor, play hard [kind of guy]. But, at the same time, [he] makes sure that we're taking care of the basics type of coach,” Johnson continued.
“I feel like [what] Julius brings [is] just an added benefit on top of what Jordi already wants out of his players. So, I mean he's [Randle] a cool dude.
I ain't going to lie, he's a lot bigger in person.”
Randle, 31, is coming off a strong season with Minnesota, putting up 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and 31.5% from three. Now he lands in Brooklyn alongside forward Michael Porter Jr. and guard Egor Demin, which means his job with the Nets will look different than it did with the Timberwolves.
Randle has already talked about what he expects from the rest of the roster, including how his pairing with Porter might function because of the way their games differ. For Johnson, who is trying to carve out minutes at the NBA level, the takeaway is simple: Randle brings production, but he also brings the kind of veteran presence Brooklyn can lean on.
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