Julius Randle is one of the most intriguing players set to hit free agency this coming offseason. He is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this offseason, which means that the Los Angeles Lakers will have the opportunity to match any offer sheet that he signs. There have been rumblings that the Lakers might let him walk in order to open up more money to pursue stars both this offseason and next offseason.
While bringing in big names would certainly be attractive to Lakers’ fans, letting Randle walk might be a big mistake. He came into his own throughout the course of the 2017-18 NBA season, averaging 16.1 points per game to go along with 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Randle became a much better defender throughout the season and shot 55.8 percent from the field.
According to HoopsHype , the Dallas Mavericks might be a team to watch this offseason when it comes to Randle in free agency.
Dallas would be one of the most intriguing destinations for Randle this offseason. Dennis Smith Jr. showed that his future couldn’t be brighter in his rookie season and the Mavericks are headed for a high draft pick this year as well.
Mark Cuban is looking to get his team back into playoff contention. It has been a few years since the Mavericks were taken seriously in the Western Conference. Adding Randle wouldn’t be a one move fix for Dallas, but it would certainly help speed up the rebuilding process that they are undergoing.
Julius Randle shot the NBA’s 10th-best field goal percentage, made the league’s 4th-most layups and was key to the Lakers’ huge defensive leap from last season. https://t.co/qc7gD6e1yz
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 23, 2018
Dirk Nowitzki is also in the final stages of his career. Bringing Randle in and allowing him to learn from Dirk would be a wise decision. The two don’t share too many similarities, but a veteran like Nowitzki can teach any player quite a few lessons about the NBA.
At just 23 years of age, Randle still has a lot of work to do to reach his full potential. He put together a big season in 2017-18, but the best is yet to come for him.
There are quite a few teams that could use a talent like Randle in their front-court. If the Mavericks do want to sign Randle, they are going to have competition. Dallas will have to be extremely aggressive to get Randle.
It is unknown what kind of contract Randle will be looking for this offseason. Dallas had a good amount of money to spend this offseason and are one of the teams that could aggressively spend to bring in a talented, young power forward.
Expect to see the Mavericks look to make a splash this offseason. Cuban knows that his team needs to be aggressive in order to get back into contention and Randle is the type of piece that can help them do that. L.A. might consider matching any offer he gets, but a big deal might make them let him walk.