Recent Lakers rumors have been about the contract situation of Julius Randle. According to one report, they could have signed him to a very reasonable deal.
With the offseason coming soon, there will surely be a ton of Lakers rumors in the coming months. This is shaping up to be one of the most important offseasons in the history of the franchise, as they are primed to make big moves.
One of the tough decisions the Lakers will have to make is what to do with Julius Randle. This season, Randle has really improved, as he has arguably been the best player on the team this season.
This season, Randle is averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. As a starter, those numbers are even better, as he has averaged 19.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. With Randle almost averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds as a starter, he will certainly be a coveted free agent.
Recently, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report reported that the Lakers had a chance to sign Randle to a very reasonable deal starting at just $12.4 million per season. Here’s what Pincus had to say.
"The Lakers had the opportunity to lock in Randle before the season on an extension starting at $12.4 million, the amount of his cap hold, according to a person privy to the stalled negotiations."
While playing Monday morning quarterback, it looks like the Lakers made a mistake not signing Randle to this extension. With the goal being to free up cap space for two max free agents at the time, it made sense for the Lakers not to sign Randle to this extension.
However, the play of Randle has likely made the Lakers consider signing him to an extension now anyway. But, it will likely be a lot more than $12.4 million per season. Randle is a restricted free agent this offseason, so the Lakers will have final say about what happens with his future.
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If the Lakers aren’t able to sign the two max free agents, Randle has emerged as a great backup plan. At just 23-years-old, he is likely just beginning to reach his potential.