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.
The pros of the Lakers trading for Julius Randle
No more Russell Westbrook
This is the most obvious pro for the Lakers making this trade (and the entire reason why they would do it). While Randle has some interesting parts of his game (more on that later), it won’t be as bad as it was with Westbrook.
There are other options, such as Kyrie Irving or even an Indiana Pacers trade, but this potential deal could be better for a particular reason.
The Lakers might not have to trade a draft pick
It seems like the Lakers are going to have to trade two first-round picks to trade for either Irving or make a deal with the Pacers. That might not happen if the team gets Randle. In a three-way trade with Utah and New York, the Lakers would actually be bringing value because they have the expiring contract.
Think about it: Utah has no reason to take on a multi-year contract like Randle or Evan Fournier. This is a team that is tanking and saving money. Instead, they are better off getting a one-year contract like Westbrook and simply buying him out to save even more money.
Julius Randle has an All-NBA ceiling that might come back in LA
Yes, Randle’s play style might not mesh perfectly with LeBron James and Anthony Davis but it was not long ago that he was on the All-NBA Third Team. He was awful last season but it is not like he is over the hill like Westbrook. In fact, Randle is in his prime at 27 years old.
Randle showed that he can shoot over 40% from beyond the arc in a season. Last season was a struggle as he didn’t really have a point guard that could open things up for him and get him the basketball. Derrick Rose was hurt for most of the season and having Rose out there actually made a huge difference.
The Lakers have the guys to give Randle the floor spacing he needs. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are threats near the rim, which will help Randle, and LeBron is there to drive and kick to Randle as Rose did.
The two best two-man lineups the Knicks had in 2020-21 in terms of net rating were with Randle. Randle and Immanuel Quickley were the best, Randle and Rose were the second-best.
The cons of the Lakers trading for Julius Randle:
The risk of Julius Randle’s contract
Russell Westbrook is a one-year problem. If things do not work out the Lakers can at least remind themselves that they will be free of the problem after this season. Granted, more problems could exist if the team does not show LeBron James that they are committed to winning, resulting in both he and Anthony Davis leaving.
But from a money standpoint, it is a one-year problem. The Lakers would be committing to four more seasons of Randle as he has three more seasons guaranteed with a player option in the fourth year.
While turning a one-year problem into a potential four-year problem is not great, it is worth pointing out that Randle’s contract is not massive by nature. He makes $23.7 million next season, $25.6 million the following year, $27.5 million the third year and $29.4 million the fourth year.
With the NBA salary cap likely jumping with a new TV deal, that is not that bad of a contract.
Julius Randle has Russell Westbrook-light tendencies
I would not say that Randle has the same problems as a basketball player as Russell Westbrook. However, he does exhibit some of the same traits and that could be a problem. Randle is someone who plays his best with a high usage rate and can dominate the basketball at times as a vacuum on offense.
Like Westbrook, Randle also does not play the best defense. Both are capable but make mental mistakes and can be a liability in crunch time, especially in the playoffs.
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However, Randle has shown a willingness to play a lesser role in the past. Westbrook has not shown that same willingness.