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Los Angeles Lakers: Luke Walton would love to have Julius Randle back

By Kenneth Teape

MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 11: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers meet with head coach Luke Walton in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center on November 11, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 11: Julius Randle #30 of the Los Angeles Lakers meet with head coach Luke Walton in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center on November 11, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton is all for the team re-signing Julius Randle.

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be busy offseason. Los Angeles has big plans for free agency, as they are hoping to land at least one, if not two, max free agents. To get that done, the Lakers are going to have some other decisions to make with their own players.

The biggest question mark is Luol Deng. The Lakers will do all they can to get his contract off their books. The biggest question in free agency they have is with restricted free agent, Julius Randle.

When the 2017-18 season began, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Randle would be gone. He was unhappy with his role coming off the bench and was playing poorly. If Randle lasted the whole season in the purple and gold, people would have been surprised.

After that early season swoon, Randle decided not to mope. Instead of being angry over the decision, he used that as motivation to perform on the court. A flip was switched and Randle turned into a monster.

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Randle put together a career season in 2017-18. No matter the role he was used in, Randle dominated. In 22 minutes per game off the bench, Randle averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. As a starter, those numbers increased.

In 29.9 minutes per game in the starting lineup, Randle averaged 18.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. All in all, Randle averaged 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.7 minutes per game.

All of the work that Randle put in during the offseason paid off as he was improved on both ends of the court. Despite playing career-low minutes per game, Randle’s stats and efficiency improved. His offensive rating of 112 and a defensive rating of 107 were both career bests, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

Randle has put the Lakers in a tough spot. They have aspirations of landing two max free agents, but Randle has played well enough to be a part of their core going forward.

One person that would love to see Randle back with the team is the head coach, Luke Walton.

"“Julius is a big part of what we accomplished this year. I think continuity is a big thing for us. Obviously, yes, I would love to have Julius back next year,” Walton said on the second day of Lakers exit interviews.“There’s other factors that go into that, but from a coaching standpoint, I would love to have Julius back,” Walton said during his exit interview."

The other factors that Walton touched on are the team’s plans in free agency. If the Lakers want to sign two max free agents, retaining Randle becomes difficult. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are going to have some tough decisions to make in the coming months.

Next: Los Angeles Lakers Ultimate Guide to 2018 Offseason

Randle has earned the contract that he will receive this offseason. However, there are questions about whether that offer will come from the Lakers, or if he will land one with another team.

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