This isn’t the way that Julius Randle pictured the season going. His rookie contract expires at the end of the season, and the Los Angeles Lakers opted not to come to an agreement on an extension, instead preferring to keep their options open heading into free agency.
With his next contract on the line, Randle spent the summer getting himself into ridiculous shape, hoping to turn heads during the most important season of his young career.
However, despite starting at power forward for the Lakers for the previous two seasons, Randle watched as Larry Nance Jr. took over that role this season. Even when Nance went out due to injury, head coach Luke Walton preferred to slide rookie Kyle Kuzma into the starting lineup. Randle, meanwhile, was asked to learn a new role: backup center.
It wasn’t an easy transition, but after some initial struggles, Randle has thrived. Former coach John Calipari, who Randle played for during his lone college season at Kentucky, took to Twitter to compliment his former player for how he has handled the situation:
It’s hard for me to ever be more proud of one player over another, but when adversity hits, a player’s response says a lot about who he is, how he’s trained, his parents, his coaches and us here at UK.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) November 9, 2017
.@J30_RANDLE, who had a dble-dble last night, has shown me something about his character, integrity, and just as importantly, his professionalism. The Lakers chose not to extend his contract, which is their right, but he hasn’t responded negatively – by statements or actions.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) November 9, 2017
Julius is controlling what he can control, which is his play. And you know what, he’s playing as well as he’s played in his life. That’s why I’m proud of him. Can’t wait to see how this unfolds for his family. My guess is better than he even imagined. Proud of you, Julius.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) November 9, 2017
Randle has certainly proven himself more than capable of being the team’s backup center, though one would have to imagine that he would prefer to start.
This leaves the Lakers in an interesting predicament. If Randle is unhappy in his role, then some have speculated that they could look to trade him before the deadline rather than have to make a difficult decision in restricted free agency next summer. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess whether or not the bruising big man will be wearing purple and gold by the end of the season.
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