In a series of moves beginning on Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers renounced the rights to Julius Randle, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Lakers have renounced Julius Randle, making him an unrestricted free agent, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2018
The move comes as a bit of a surprise even with the signing of LeBron James on Sunday evening.
Randle enjoyed a breakout season in his fourth year, averaging 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 71.8 percent at the line.
With the Lakers short on big men, though, the move is also surprising considering the amount of center Randle played in 2017-18. Now, the Lakers are left with only Javale McGee, Ivica Zubac and Kyle Kuzma along with rookie Moritz Wagner as the primary big men.
More moves could potentially be coming, which could include signing Randle. However, it’s unlikely to see the team renouncing Randle only to re-sign him, likely meaning Randle’s days as a Laker are done.
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