NBA Free Agent News: Julius Randle’s Agent Suggests Lakers’ Priorities Are Unclear
Brandon Dill-Associated Press

Heading into the 2017-18 NBA season, it appeared Julius Randle’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers was going to end via trade or free agency.

With the front office focusing on clearing enough salary cap space for two max-contract players, presumed to be LeBron James and Paul George, it figured to be difficult to re-sign Randle unless they somehow traded Luol Deng.

As Randle came off the bench to begin his fourth season, he was able to dominate backup centers. When head coach Luke Walton finally gave the 23-year-old an opportunity to start again, the Lakers played their best basketball of the season.

In 49 starts, Randle averaged 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 29.9 minutes. Although the Lakers can match any offers in Randle’s restricted free agency, there is uncertainty if he will ultimately return.

According to Tania Ganguli of L.A. Times, Randle’s agent Aaron Mintz said he and his client don’t have a clear understanding of the Lakers’ positioning:

“We still have no indication of where Julius stands among the Lakers’ priorities, or if he is a priority at all,” Randle’s agent Aaron Mintz said Saturday in response to Pelinka’s comments. “We are looking forward to the marketplace in July, when we will get a clear picture of Julius’ future.”

With the Lakers keeping their options open, general manager Rob Pelinka revealed they have kept in touch with Randle’s representatives heading into free agency:

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told The Times on Friday that the Lakers’ front office is constantly in touch with Julius Randle’s representatives, and there has been “a mutual exchange of interest and hoping that we can work something out for both sides.”

At this time, the Lakers and Randle have not held serious contract talks as free agency does not officially begin until July 1.

After a career season, Randle has certainly put the Lakers in a tougher position than they had anticipated. While it seemed like Randle was not going to be a part of the team’s future, Walton said he would ‘love’ him back during exit interviews.

While the team’s goals have not changed, Randle could return to Los Angeles if the Lakers are unable to sign two max contract players this offseason.

As part of our efforts to help you understand how we handle the personal information you share with us, and in preparation for the new European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we’ve updated our Privacy & Cookies Policy. The updated Privacy & Cookies Policy will take effect on May 22, 2018. By using our services on or after that date, you’ll be agreeing to our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy. We recommend that you read our updated Privacy & Cookies Policy in full.

You May Also Like

Lakers News: Jordan Clarkson Anticipates Wins In Early Season Showdowns

The NBA put forth the next step towards the beginning of training camp when they officially released the 2017 schedule…

Lakers News: Mark Cuban Says Jerry Buss Was One Of Few Owners To Support Him Early On

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently said that Los Angeles Lakers late great owner Jerry Buss was one of the only people to support him early on…

Lakers News: Frank Vogel Does Not Plan On Pacers-Like Post Offense With Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins

Aside from Anthony Davis, arguably the biggest addition the Los Angeles Lakers made this summer was that of DeMarcus Cousins…

Lakers News: Carmelo Anthony Believes No One Will Reach 40,000 Points Again After LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James recently reached a never-before-seen milestone in NBA history when he reached…