Los Angeles Lakers must re-sign restricted free agent Julius Randle

Reasons and Rebuttals To Signing Randle

There seem to be two possible reasons for the Lakers to not re-sign Randle.
1. Great value is placed on “stretch-4” big men who can step out and hit the 3-pointer these days, but Randle’s outside shot is notably subpar.

2. The Lakers have ample salary cap space. Magic Johnson, the head of Lakers basketball operation, has made it clear that he wants to sign two elite free agents. If he is successful, the team probably will not have room to also sign Randle.

It is very easy to counter those arguments:
1. To begin with, Randle is so good inside that he commands extra attention. That, in turn, opens up space for other Lakers to shoot 3’s or cut to the hoop for an easy shot. And he’s become more adept at passing out of double teams to find the open man.

Additionally, Randle is still only 23 years old. His range will almost certainly improve. He shot a respectable 71.8 percent from the free throw line (which was higher than teammates Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Brook Lopez, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball). That shows that he has a relatively decent stroke. If, as expected, he puts in time practicing his outside shot, he should be able to make it a more reliable weapon… just as both Magic and LeBron did later in their careers.

2. Although Randle has not yet peaked, he is already approaching the elite status that Johnson covets. Julius will never be as good as LeBron, but he is 10 years younger and should be able to contribute to the Lakers success long after Father Time has ebbed away James’ talents. So as sacrilegious as it sounds, Randle is actually a better long-term fit for the team than James is.