Los Angeles Lakers must re-sign restricted free agent Julius Randle
By Ed Schrenzel
Wrap up and final thoughts
Think about it this way. Let’s say the Lakers somehow add both James and Paul George this summer. It’s still far-fetched to think that a Lakers team with a young core of talented players that have no firsthand playoff experience can leapfrog top teams like Golden State and Houston to make the NBA Finals next year, much less win the title.
James understands that too. Since his goal is to win now, there’s a strong likelihood he’ll either stay in Cleveland or move to another Eastern Conference team where the road to the Finals remains easier. His pattern is to sign with a stacked team that has two other All-Stars (Miami with Wade and Bosh, Cavs with Irving and Love), not a young team in the early stages of development.
Magic and GM Rob Pelinka should maintain the long view rather than a short-term approach for the Lakers. Stocking the roster with veteran players nearing the end of their careers would not be wise. Instead, they should sign players who will be at or near their peaks when a championship might well be within reach- perhaps as soon as 2020, but certainly in 2021 and beyond.
The player who best fits that criteria is Julius Randle, who also has established great chemistry with the other young core players. George would also be an excellent fit, but James would not, because of many factors, including his age, his ball-dominance and his ego.
Magic Johnson was an all-time great player and successful businessman. Rob Pelinka has a reputation as a shrewd talent evaluator. They obviously recognize how important re-signing Julius Randle is and plan to do so… don’t they?
Perhaps they have stayed silent about their plans so they don’t tip off other teams. Maybe they hope to hold Randle’s price tag down a bit. But surely keeping Randle on the Lakers is a priority to them… isn’t it?
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Don’t you agree that Julius Randle should remain in a Lakers uniform next season and beyond?
All statistics courtesy of www.basketball-reference.com