Over the past couple of weeks, the rumor mill has quieted down 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 nabbing Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, nothing is even 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 that the Knicks may agree to such a deal if they land Mitchell.
It is the Lakers’ latest effort to get some team to take Russell Westbrook off their hands. However, it is puzzling to understand why they’d want Randle.
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 percent 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 skill set doesn’t fit with LeBron James or Anthony Davis, as 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?
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Story originally appeared on LeBron Wire
