Julius Randle Opting Out

Pelicans‘ Julius Randle is not picking up his $9M player option for next season and will enter unrestricted free agency, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Randle is coming off his best NBA season (21.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 34.4 percent from 3-point range on 195 attempts).

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 17, 2019

I like Randle. But I get it. This was a move that you didn't have to be NM or GA type clairvoyant to see coming. Good luck, big guy.

Take the money we might have spent on him and go get Brook Lopez.

I've said it from the moment we obtained the rights for Zion; the center we should pursue is Brook Lopez. He is a lifetime 50% shooter (a shade under) and played on some pretty poor teams in New Jersey and Brooklyn early on. Over the last three years he has incorporated a viable three-ball in his arsenal. His outside shot helped open the driving lanes for MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo to operate. He can knock down a free throw, is a solid rebounder, and a crafty passer. On a team full of young pups (notwithstanding Jrue Holiday), I believe he would be the perfect role model from whom the youth could learn.

I've kinda fallen in love with Bitadze. Trading back to 8 and 17 and nabbing him at 17 and Doumbouya at 8. I think I have a bit of an exotic lust thing happening.

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

I've kinda fallen in love with Bitadze. Trading back to 8 and 17 and nabbing him at 17 and Doumbouya at 8. I think I have a bit of an exotic lust thing happening.

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Bitadze is legit. He's like, 80% of Jokic. Which is a pretty damn good player.

I wish he could stay and help this team.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

Bitadze is legit. He's like, 80% of Jokic. Which is a pretty damn good player.

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Haha. I thought I was in the draft thread. Whoops.

I guess this kind of fits here.

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Originally Posted by msusousaphone

I've kinda fallen in love with Bitadze. Trading back to 8 and 17 and nabbing him at 17 and Doumbouya at 8. I think I have a bit of an exotic lust thing happening.

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I seriously doubt Goga will be there at 17. But he's a very good fit next to Zion. I still go sign a FA to play center next year and bring Goga along slowly. Hypothetically speaking.

RESIGN RANDLE


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He's redundant now

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Originally Posted by AusPel

He's redundant now

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He’s perfect. We will resign him I bet.

Put him at center. Him and Zion would be awesome. Draft Hunter or Bol
Bol.

We need guys who can get to the line a good bit (Randle, Zion, Ingram)

We need guys who have high fg% (Randle, Zion, Ingram, Hunter)

We need guys who can get rebounds, offensive rebounds!!!! (Zion, Randle, Bol Bol)

I think if we could somehow get Bol Bol AND Hunter that would be amazing. AND resign Randle.


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don't think he's that redundant. he can play the 5 - zion should not.

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Originally Posted by neworleanshoo

don't think he's that redundant. he can play the 5 - zion should not.

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Zion's perfectly capable of playing the small ball 5 in spots. Just like Randle (also dramatically undersized, also makes it work with strength) does.

Randle is going to want big money. He's going to get it. We should not even try to match it.

Everything Randle does, Zion does too with the exception of the three ball. Zion does it with a better handle, smarter passing, better defense, more effort off-ball, and with better IQ.

At 275 pounds and with his leaping ability, I get why Zion is characterized as a power forward. But I wonder if he shouldn't guard the SF since he is 6'6" and agile. Randle or a different PF wouldn't be redundant and would provide more size.

What would you pay him max to return?

13-14m for me. Suns would crush that offer though.

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Originally Posted by bustah

What would you pay him max to return?

13-14m for me. Suns would crush that offer though.

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I don't want him back.

Hope he goes and gets big bucks elsewhere, but not for this team.

Any one have any scoops on who the Pels are looking at in free agency?? I'm jonesing for new pels news

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Originally Posted by PeliKhan

Any one have any scoops on who the Pels are looking at in free agency?? I'm jonesing for new pels news

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Damn man, it's only a few days until the draft. You should be binging Zion highlight videos and rewatching game tape.

In reality though, we've heard so much about Griff still having a move or two to make, so I don't really know if any of them are THAT focused on free agency yet.

Vision question. With Zion coming aboard, is there any appetite to see the Pels just do away with a traditional center, play 3 forwards in the front court who can pass, dribble and defend along with Jrue and Lonzo, switching everything on defense and just run the living ********e out of the ball all game Westfahl-style, making other teams adjust to us? I find the idea of rolling out our own kind of NASCAR package highly tempting....

Starting and Finishing Five:

G Ball
G Holiday
F Ingram
F Williamson
F Hunter

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Lets say they trade down to get Jaxson Hayes, and that Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle refuse to re-sign.
Of course this is just going by the current team. I do not think David Griffin is finished.

Lonzo Ball/Frank Jackson/Travon Bluiett
Jrue Holiday/Josh Hart/Dairis Bertans
Brandon Ingram/Soloman Hill/Kenrich Williams
Zion Williamson/Cheick Diallo/Christian Wood
Jahill Okafor/Jaxson Hayes/Enes Kanter

a team like the knicks will give him the money he's looking for