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Los Angeles Lakers: Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle heart of the team

By C.J. Mendenhall

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 11: Alexis Ajinca #42 of the New Orleans Pelicans is double teamed by Jordan Clarkson #6 and Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the basketball game at Staples Center April 11, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 11: Alexis Ajinca #42 of the New Orleans Pelicans is double teamed by Jordan Clarkson #6 and Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the basketball game at Staples Center April 11, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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With the trade deadline approaching, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office looking to create cap space for a free-agent filled summer, a few Lakers’ players have been popping up in trade rumors quite a bit.

The Los Angeles Lakers need to make some moves to improve. They’ve been bad for years now, but under new management, are looking to turn things around quickly. Their goal is to create enough cap space to sign two max-contract players this summer.

Their main targets? LeBron James, Paul George, and DeMarcus Cousins. Any of these players would immediately make the Lakers better, more attractive to other free agents, and bring the Lakers closer to that 17th championship.

The issue isn’t who they’re trying to get, but who they’re trying to ship away.

The two names that consistently come up in trade rumors are Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle. The problem is, those guys should be in the Lakers’ future. Some players are going to have to go, that’s just the way it is. But those two should not be the ones being shopped.

Jordan Clarkson was a major steal in the 2014 draft, a second-round pick who has outplayed most of the guys picked before him. In his second season, he already scored the most points on the team with 1,225 points (per basketball-reference.com). He also averaged the most points per game besides anyone named Kobe Bryant. Clarkson also averaged the second most steals.

Now in his 4th year in the NBA, Clarkson is playing like a 6th man of the year. He has great handles, is super athletic, and can be a playmaker or go one-on-one. He is on a pretty team-friendly contract. He takes the game serious and can get into a zone that resembles “mamba mentality” He just LOOKS like a LAKER.

Julius Randle is set to be a restricted free-agent this summer, and the Lakers should try to keep him in the fold. Coach Walton has often said he envisions Randle as “the Draymond Green” of the team, the glue that holds them together.

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Randle is a beast. The Lakers took him with the 7th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He broke his leg in his first NBA game and missed his whole rookie season. However, when he finally got on the court, he averaged a double-double in his first season playing.

He is one of those rare big-men that can lead the break, or grab a rebound and go coast to coast. He is a great finisher around the rim, and can also find the open man on the perimeter.

On defense, he crashes the glass and is a fantastic rebounder.

With a crowded frontcourt, Randle’s minutes have seen a bit of a decline lately. However, last time he played over 30 minutes, he had 23 points and 15 rebounds (per NBA.com). When he his given a lot of minutes, he produces results.

He also offers positional versatility, often playing at center despite normally playing at the power forward position.

When I think of the Lakers, Clarkson and Randle come to mind right away. They’ve been on the team longer than any other Lakers. They are the only guys left on the team who got to play with Kobe Bryant in his final two years. In fact, they are 2 of the 3 left that were there with Kobe. Larry Nance, Jr. played one season with him as well.

The front office has big plans this summer. But, if they blow up the roster and fail to sign any big free agents, they’ll be in even worse shape.

They can find a way to get rid of Luol Deng‘s terrible contract and make some other moves to clear cap space, but I think keeping Clarkson and Randle should be a priority. Due to Randle’s upcoming restricted free-agency, it’s a bit more complicated with him. But keeping Clarkson is easy.

Clarkson, Randle, and Nance are the only current Lakers who had the opportunity to share the court with Kobe Bryant. They must’ve picked up tips, tricks, knowledge, work ethic, toughness, and many other things in the process.

Next: Lakers: 3 Reasons To Pursue DeMarcus Cousins

Do we want to ship out our only remaining ties to Kobe Bryant? No! But, more importantly, these are guys who have been consistent for the most part and exceeded expectations. They know the system that Walton wants to play. They are fan favorites. And they should do anything they can to keep these two around.

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