The Los Angeles Lakers cannot head into the 2022-23 season with the current roster that is on the books. While the core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is great, just like last season, everything around those two is not great.
Russell Westbrook is still on the roster and that is going to hold the Lakers back. Westbrook is a horrible fit next to LeBron and AD and showed last season that he is not willing to change his game for the betterment of the team. That is why a Westbrook trade is the most important thing to happen this offseason.
It is imperative that the Lakers can somehow get actual talent in return for Westbrook. The roster as a whole is really thin and there is practically no three-point shooting. This is not a championship-caliber roster, let alone a playoff roster.
One name the Los Angeles Lakers could bring in is Julius Randle.
NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that the Lakers would potentially be interested in trading for Julius Randle if the Knicks trade for Donovan Mitchell. While LA reportedly does not want to take back long-term money, Randle is someone who they would be willing to do so with.
There is an easy-to-construct three-team trade that the Lakers can pull off with the New York Knicks and Utah Jazz that would get Mitchell to New York, Westbrook (and a boat load of picks) to Utah, and Randle and other contracts to LA.
The logic for the Knicks here is that they have to clear up money to bring in Mitchell anyway and Randle is a logical contract because of the size and multi-year status.
Because of that contract and the fact that Randle came back down to earth last season, there are plenty of Lakers fans who don’t want to see the former Lakers draft pick return to LA. Like any move, though, there are pros and cons of potentially bringing in Randle.