Los Angeles Lakers sign Julius Randle, will debut today

The Los Angeles Lakers are used to making the postseason every year.

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However, after center Dwight Howard left for the Houston Rockets in free agency last offseason, the Lakers were ravaged by injuries. Future Hall-of-Fame guards Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash missed nearly the entire season while several other key contributors, including big man Pau Gasol, missed significant amounts of time as well.

The Lakers hoped to take advantage of the draft that contained a few potential superstars, but after finishing with the sixth-worst record in the league, they got the seventh-overall pick in the lottery. However, they may have lucked. After questions about his defense and a potential foot surgery, former Kentucky Wildcats’ power forward Julius Randle, once looked at as a potential top three selection, fell to seven and the Lakers pounced on him.

Now, we finally get to see him play.

According to Bill Oram of The Orange County Register, the Lakers have agreed to a deal with Randle and he will be making his summer league debut when the Lakers take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 4:30 EST Sunday afternoon.

Randle was ranked as the draft’s fourth-best prospect according  by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. He measured in at 6’9″ and 250 pounds with a wingspan of 7’0″ at the NBA’s Scouting Combine. Last season, he put up 15.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 70.6% from the charity stripe.