What the bleep do we do with Julius Randle?

[tlance]

I very much doubt any teams, if any, who have the cap space to sign a max player will go for Randle.

And you're telling me star players haven't accepted less money in order to play with each other? Really?

LBJ has clearly stated in the past he isn't taking less than max.

The RFA max is different than the real max. Yes, I do think Randle will command that, especially given his recent play.

 

[Mecca]

Agree. I'm an admitted Julius Randle fanboy and would love to see the Lakers find a way to keep him. He is definitely earning himself a nice raise from someone.

I don't know if it's something that can be done, but I'm hoping that he will be patient, collect his offers, let the Lakers sign a max guy or 2 and then go ahead and go over the cap to match his best offer.

Problem with that is...What if they don't land anyone?

I think the Lakers will take the Harrison Barnes approach.

Go after your big fish.

If the line breaks, circle back to Randle.

Even if he agrees to a offer sheet elsewhere, you will have the opportunity to match.

The Lakers shouldn't be deterred in matching even if the contract is front loaded because he can still be traded next year.

* see Allen Crabbe

 

[Mecca]

We don't know what he's going to demand/accept. Heck we don't know what lebron or PG are willing to sign for if the opportunity arises.

Randle isn't going to demand the max from the Lakers

He will from Dallas who has cap space and have already tried to trade for him.

 

[Mecca]

How? Worst case scenario they don't get two max players, keep Randle, keep developing and the way things are going, and probably make the playoffs as a 6-8 seed next year. Then make a run for a max player in 2019.

So how are they screwed?

Agree to everything but the 6-8 seed.

I think making the playoffs in the West is gonna be more challenging, unless one of the Teams currently ahead of them blows it up.

 

[Mecca]

I very much doubt any teams, if any, who have the cap space to sign a max player will go for Randle.

And you're telling me star players haven't accepted less money in order to play with each other? Really?

The earliest he can sign an offer sheet from another team is on July 1 but the two-day clock for the Lakers to decide Randle's fate doesn't start until July 6.

Not many teams will have cap room next summer, but if the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings or Utah Jazz (among others) decide Randle is worth pursuing, the Lakers may face a difficult decision.

 

[Mecca]

That isn't how RFA works.

Other teams are going to offer him a max (or a near max) and the Lakers must choose to match or let him walk. Do you really think he would sign in advance of free agency and leave tens of millions on the table?

This is his first chance to sign a big contract and he has already missed an entire season to injury. He would be foolish to give a major hometown discount.

LBJ and George signing for less? Don't do this. Be realistic please. It is impossible to get all 3. When LeBron was being asked about Golden State he said he would consider them IF they could clear the space to offer a max deal. I think that is about as clear as it gets that he isn't giving discounts either.

She's kinda right.

It's not impossible, just improbable.

The Lakers would have to jump thru fire hoops with gasoline draws on.

But, it could be done IF players were willing to sacrifice.


Can Lakers Land LeBron, Paul George and Keep Budding Star Julius Randle?

 

[trojanfan12]

GSW, HOU, MIN, SAS, POR, NO, and DEN are clearly better, if PG stays in OKC they are too. Maybe the Lakers will be the best team in LA next year?

Not buying Portland, Nawlins' or Denver. The Lakers will need to continue to develop the youngsters over the rest of the season and next year.

They would have to address a few potential holes as Lopez, KCP and IT all have contracts that expire at the end of this season and Randle will be an RFA.

As long as they are able to do that, a 6-8 seed is very feasible for next year without the addition of a max FA or 2.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't think he's worth paying a max slot which is what he'll command. I don't think he's an all star. He's just a good starter level player. Tlance brought up Otto Porter, that's the kind of level you're talking here (Porter is more consistent imo, but you get the idea). I'm not tying up money for that. The market for that level of player is going to correct itself real soon (perhaps even this summer) and I don't want to be caught on the wrong end of it having him making like 23 million when his peer group is making say 16 mil the year after. He's going to be moved if they want 2 max slots this year anyway but I'd probably move him even you don't need those slots. Like try to execute a sign and trade to get back a pick and a couple of complimentary players.

As much as I love Randle, I think you are right. I don't see him as a max player...ever. But he's definitely a starter quality player who can be part of a title contender at the right price. I don't want to see the Lakers stuck with a Tristan Thompson type contract, even though I think Randle is the better player, he's not worth that kind of money. The only reason Thompson got it was because the Cavs had no choice. The Lakers have a choice.

If they can get a couple of max guys and go over the cap to keep him, I'd love to see that happen, but in the end, I think he'll be gone to the highest bidder (which probably won't be the Lakers) or he'll be gone via sign and trade.

 

[trojanfan12]

We don't know what he's going to demand/accept. Heck we don't know what lebron or PG are willing to sign for if the opportunity arises.

Randle isn't going to demand the max from the Lakers

Lebron has said that he's not signing for less than the max...ever again. That's why he keeps doing these 2 year deals wth an opt out after one. It ensures that every time the cap goes up, his contract stays at the max level. So, if the Lakers get him, they are going to be paying him every penny that he can demand under the current CBA.

It's Lebron and we know he changes his mind like a teenage girl, but I don't see him changing on that one.

If Randle is smart, he'll demand every penny that he can get. He might give the Lakers a small "hometown discount," but I doubt it will be much.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think the Lakers will take the Harrison Barnes approach.

Go after your big fish.

If the line breaks, circle back to Randle.

Even if he agrees to a offer sheet elsewhere, you will have the opportunity to match.

The Lakers shouldn't be deterred in matching even if the contract is front loaded because he can still be traded next year.

* see Allen Crabbe

Is there a time limit on how long they have to match? Obviously the Lakers are going after Lebron in the off-season and he's been known to drag out the process.

 

[trojanfan12]

The earliest he can sign an offer sheet from another team is on July 1 but the two-day clock for the Lakers to decide Randle's fate doesn't start until July 6.

Not many teams will have cap room next summer, but if the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings or Utah Jazz (among others) decide Randle is worth pursuing, the Lakers may face a difficult decision.

Ignore post #30, this answers that question.

 

[ericd7633]

Not buying Portland, Nawlins' or Denver. The Lakers will need to continue to develop the youngsters over the rest of the season and next year.

They would have to address a few potential holes as Lopez, KCP and IT all have contracts that expire at the end of this season and Randle will be an RFA.

As long as they are able to do that, a 6-8 seed is very feasible for next year without the addition of a max FA or 2.

Why would you not buy any of them? The core of Portland's team is 28 and younger. Denver's 3 best players are 24 and younger, their 4th best player is only 27. NO is the only question mark only because of Cousins' health.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Why would you not buy any of them? The core of Portland's team is 28 and younger. Denver's 3 best players are 24 and younger, their 4th best player is only 27. NO is the only question mark only because of Cousins' health.

And how old are Ingram, Lonzo and Kuzma?

 

[tducey]

I think the Lakers are on the verge of turning it around. Got to think Randle weighs all his options but decides to stay with the Lakers long-term.

 

[trojanfan12]

LBJ and George signing for less? Don't do this. Be realistic please. It is impossible to get all 3. When LeBron was being asked about Golden State he said he would consider them IF they could clear the space to offer a max deal. I think that is about as clear as it gets that he isn't giving discounts either.

Lebron isn't signing for less than a max. However, for PG and Randle signing for less, I think that depends...

How much less are we talking about? If it's in the neighborhood of say $3-6 million each. They may be willing to do that. If PG really does want to play in LA and if Randle wants to stay and be part of a contender...then I could see them giving up some money.

I think it's probably unlikely that they do, but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. Obviously, the Lakers will have some work to do on their end to clear all of the space that they can, but much of that has been done or will be soon after the season ends.

The Deng contract is the main deterrent. Fucking Short Buss is the give that keeps on giving. His panic moves on Mozgov and Deng have really made this a lot harder than it needed to be.

 

[trojanfan12]

Why would you not buy any of them? The core of Portland's team is 28 and younger. Denver's 3 best players are 24 and younger, their 4th best player is only 27. NO is the only question mark only because of Cousins' health.

And the Lakers core of youngsters is the youngest in the league and they are something like 18-6 over their last 24 games.

Assuming they don't land max FA's and the young core keeps improving, they are easily right there with all of those teams.

Clearly, they would have to sign some quality FA's on 1 year deals like they did with Lopez and KCP. But they've already shown they can do that. They may be able to bring back IT on another 1 year deal too. I don't think the demand for him is going to be that high this off-season. I think teams will want to see that his hip is okay.

 

[trojanfan12]

I think the Lakers are on the verge of turning it around. Got to think Randle weighs all his options but decides to stay with the Lakers long-term.

I'd love to see him do that. But he's going to be offered big money. If the Lakers are able to land a couple of max FA's, they may not be able to afford him.

 

[The Oldtimer]

Screwed in the way that the Wizards got screwed with Porter.

He is a very good player, but do you really want to pay him 25 million?

It all depends on what free agents the Lakers go after. I have said this all along, I don't want Lebron on the Lakers. Now I can get use to Westbrook and George. If we can find a way to keep Randle, then great.

 

[DJ]

Count me as one of the people that previously said that I like him, but also that the price tag is too high to pay him that kind of money.
It now, LOOKS like he's starting to turn into the guy that us Laker fans thought he had the potential to be. We obviously have cap space, and the correct plan would be to keep preserving it for bigger names if it doesn't work this year. However, Julius Randle is starting to make this a much tougher choice than previously thought

Natural development IMO but it's also a contract year.

 

[DJ]

I very much doubt any teams, if any, who have the cap space to sign a max player will go for Randle.

And you're telling me star players haven't accepted less money in order to play with each other? Really?

Randle isn't some veteran willing to take less......he's about to hit his prime and want big dollars. Or he should fire his agent.