Los Angeles Lakers give up Julius Randle and accept the terms with Rajon Rondo



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6:32 PM ET

  • Adrian Wojnarowski ESPN

The dramatic remodeling of the Los Angeles Lakers list will include Rajon Rondo joining the franchise on a one-year, $ 9 million contract dollars and departure from before Julius Randle, who was waived and became an unrestricted free agent, league sources told ESPN

The Lakers outbid the pelicans of New Orleans to trap Rondo and created more pay flexibility by giving up on Randle, who immediately became one of the freer

Randle had been looking for an offer sheet as a restricted free agent, but the Lakers did not want to match a leaf and commit to long-term years and money as they pursue the possibility of star free agents in 2019, including Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs.

With Randle gone, the Lakers now have $ 5 million in captains' room. This ceiling could reach $ 16 million if the team uses the waiver and stretch clause on Luol Deng, which would lengthen the $ 36 million owed to it for five seasons.

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Randle came to training camp last season in the best shape of his life.Even though he was frustrated with not getting a contract extension and having left the bench early in the season, the striker responded with a career year, maintaining an average of 16.1 points and 8.0 rebounds in career, while being a key element in the defense of coach Luke Walton as a great who could switch to several positions.

In his year with the pelicans, Rondo got an average of 8.3 points and 8.2 badists per game in the regular season, and excelled in the playoffs with 10.3 PPG and 12 2 APG Rondo led the Pelicans to a first round of the Portland Trail Blazers West Conference playoffs.

Movements occur a day after the LeBron James agency announced that it will join the Lakers for a $ 153.3 million contract over four years. This announcement was soon followed by agreements signed by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee for the Lakers, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN

. A source told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that James has been consulted on all recent team moves.

Despite the loss of Randle's defensive abilities, the Lakers have been able to improve their defense over the past 48 hours. The Lakers added Rondo's quick hands and length, Stephenson's aggressive defense, McGee's length and ability to block the shots and brought one of their best defenders back in the last year to Caldwell-Pope. Add to that long defenders in Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram and with James orchestrating the defense as a free security, Walton has a potentially formidable defense that finished 12th (105.6) in defense last season.

The Lakers also added versatility with James, Rondo and Stephenson are threats to triple-double each night. Rondo gives the Lakers experience to the leader, where the Lakers relied on Ball and even on Ingram when Ball was injured.

Now Rondo could potentially serve as a great mentor for Ball, who averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 badists and 6.9 rebounds as a rookie, but shot only 36 percent overall and 30.5 percent from 3 points [19659004RondohadamemorableclashwithanotherLakersleaderearlierthisseasonwhenheandIsaiahThomasquarreledandwerekickedoutwithWaltonataValentine'sDaymeetinginNewOrleanslastseason

Information from Ohm Youngmisuk and Bobby Marks from ESPN was used in this report.

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