WASHINGTON — Some find it hard to understand how a 30-something All-Star would be happy being shipped from a contender to a rebuilding loser. 

That’s because they don’t understand how much Julius Randle just wants to be somewhere he’s wanted. 

And make no mistake, Randle and the Nets want — and need — each other. 

“Yeah, absolutely. It’s incredible, man,” Randle told The Post before Monday’s game in Washington. “Everybody knows it’s a business and things happen. But when you’re somewhere where you’re really wanted, and you have that validation with an organization really appreciating you and what you bring to the table, it’s an incredible feeling.