Lakers: 3 stars Rob Pelinka can trade for not named Kyrie Irving

Julius Randle

The Knicks are one of the top suitors for Donovan Mitchell, but to get that big of a deal done, they probably will need help. That’s where the Lakers and Julius Randle come in.

Marc Stein reported that the Knicks would be open to trading Randle to Los Angeles if they can get the Mitchell deal done with Utah.

A Randle-for-Russell Westbrook swap could reset the Lakers in terms of internal drama. In Randle, they’d get a strong rebounder and scorer who could help relieve the attention paid to Anthony Davis, his former Pelicans teammate, and LeBron James. He’s not a liability on defense, either.

He’s developed into a solid player since his first four years playing for Los Angeles, averaging 21.3 points, 10 rebounds and 4.8 assists since joining the Knicks in 2019. And at his best, he’s an All-Star level playmaker.