Julius Randle was an All-Star during the 2020-21 season, and he also made an All-NBA team that same year. Randle has clearly not lived up to the multi-year lucrative contract that the New York Knicks have signed him to thus far. While he was poor during the 2021-22 season, there’s no doubt that Julius Randle could still be a solid player moving forward.
The New York Knicks would likely want to move off of Julius Randle via trade, to clear salary off the books. It seems as though the Los Angeles Lakers could potentially be trade partners for the Knicks. NBA insider Marc Stein has recently revealed that if the Knicks are successful in trading for Donovan Mitchell, the Lakers could end up trying to trade for Julius Randle.
Marc Stein:
“A very plugged-in person in the league told me… If Donovan Mitchell we’re to end up with the Knicks, there could be talks between the Knicks and the Lakers involving Julius [Randle].”
(via @TheSteinLine, @FredKatz, https://t.co/jkyVnziK63) pic.twitter.com/7xK0ZtlGKO
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 31, 2022
Julius Randle would, in theory, be the No. 3 offensive option behind superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the Lakers. While he isn’t a perfect player, perhaps he can thrive with less offensive responsibility on the Los Angeles Lakers. There are times when players do better when their role is optimized, and in theory, Julius Randle should thrive with two players taking the defensive attention off of him.
The New York Knicks have obviously not gotten Donovan Mitchell thus far, and a recent report by Shams Charania suggested that talks between the team and the Utah Jazz have stalled. However, this situation could obviously change in the future, and there have been other reports that have suggested that the Knicks are the favorites to land Donovan Mitchell.
Hopefully, we see the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers figure out a deal for Julius Randle. Perhaps a new environment can help Julius Randle get back into All-Star form, and the Los Angeles Lakers could absolutely provide that change of scenery.
