The Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings reportedly have interest in signing Julius Randle, according to Jordan Schultz of ESPN.
Randle becomes an unrestricted free agent on Sunday. The lefty declined his 2019-20 player option with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Julius Randle has a strong market entering FA. The #Nets, #Knicks, #Bulls/#Kings are all interested in Randle and have all emerged as realistic possibilities, sources tell ESPN. Randle, 24, averaged 21.4 PPG 8.7 RPG and 3.1 APG on a career-best 34.4 percent 3 for NOLA last year.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 29, 2019
This past season in New Orleans, Randle averaged 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from beyond the arc and 73.1 percent from the free-throw line. He will surely get a pay raise from the $8.64 million he made in 2018-19.
The Nets could create a Big 3 of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Julius Randle. Irving is expected to sign a four-year deal with Brooklyn on Sunday, while the Nets are trying to bring KD with Irving.
The Knicks, Bulls and Kings could give Randle a big offer, but you have to assume Julius wants to contend for a playoff spot. Randle has never made the playoffs in his NBA career.
There hasn't been any talk about Randle possibly going back to the Pelicans, who finally traded Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. Julius Randle is a talented big man who does all of his damage in the paint. Some team is going to be getting a good player.
