Over the past couple of weeks, the rumor mill has quieted a bit for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Their attempts to acquire Kyrie Irving have gone nowhere, and although there have been reports they may be interested in Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, nothing is close to happening.
Elsewhere around the league, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has been rumored to be on the move, possibly to the New York Knicks.
Prominent NBA writer Marc Stein said during a Spotify Live session that L.A. may be interested in forward Julius Randle and the Knicks might agree to such a deal if they land Mitchell.
Marc Stein also reports that a "plugged in" source in the league informed him that if a Mitchell to New York trade goes down, the Lakers may engage the Knicks in a deal for Randle. Apparently, he's a player the Lakers wouldn't mind taking back long-term money on.
— Richard Staple, BSN, RN🇯🇲 (@RichStapless) July 30, 2022
It is the Lakers’ latest effort to get some team to take Russell Westbrook off their hands. However, why they’d want Randle is puzzling.
The 6-foot-9 big man played his first four seasons with them, and he showed plenty of potential during that span, averaging 13.5 points and 8.9 rebounds a game while shooting 49.3% from the field.
As a Knick, Randle became his best self in the 2020-21 campaign, earning his first All-Star bid. But this past season, his numbers, particularly his shooting percentages, fell like a rock thrown off the George Washington Bridge.
His skills don’t fit with LeBron James or Anthony Davis: He’s not a particularly good 3-point shooter or effective off-the-ball player.
In addition, Randle has four years left on his contract at well over $20 million a season. If the Lakers are unwilling to take back the contract of Joe Harris, a player who could fit very well with them, in a potential Irving trade, why would they want the big contract of a player who would be a poor fit?
