New Orleans Pelicans Rumors: Julius Randle interested in the Phoenix Suns

New Orleans Pelicans’ power forward, Julius Randle, is rumored to have interest in signing with the Phoenix Suns. If the bidding raises, should the Pelicans move on or try to retain the 24-year-old?

Julius Randle is coming off a career season with the New Orleans Pelicans in which he averaged a gaudy stat line of 21.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.1 assists on 52% from the field and 34% from distance. It’s not uncommon for a player to “cash in” off of a career year, and with the ability to opt out of his contract via player option—Randle could test the waters of free agency and see who’s willing to throw him a lucrative deal.

But should the Pelicans remain in the bidding if the price starts raising? Randle may have put up All-Star caliber numbers, but there are glaring weaknesses in his game, as well as possible chemistry issues with a certain prospect likely coming to town.

Sure Randle’s strong, he’s deceptively quick for someone 6’9 and 250 pounds, he’s incredibly physical, but he uses none of these attributes on the defensive end. He’s yet to best 0.6 blocks per game over the course of a season, and he usually floats around and is out of position. Overall, he just plays lackadaisical on that end of the court.

But, he’s still young, those inadequacies are subject to change. Or you can look at it through a scope of pessimism like me; Randle has played 311 NBA games, and if he hasn’t put forth any intensity defensively yet, he likely never will.

It’s not all bad though, let’s return back to the positives, he’s an absolute force in the paint. He overwhelms the opposition with his style of “bully ball”, and can step outside the block to knock down open midrange jump shots or shots beyond the perimeter (that 34 percent I talked about before was on small sample size, 2.7 attempts per contest).

His stats have improved with every passing season, and no matter which way to pitch it, that’s impressive. However, that aforementioned prospect that is likely coming to New Orleans, he plays a very similar game to Randle. In fact, it’s become a bit of an ongoing gag in the Twittersphere how alike the two individuals play.

There’s the slight chance that coach Gentry finds a way for both players to either coexist or he staggers their minutes accordingly to avoid an awkward look on the basketball court. We mentioned their playstyles in depth in a previous article, which you can read, here.

If Randle is to opt out, there’s a real chance that his annual salary ranges in the $12-15 million ballpark. Now should the Pelicans remain in the bidding if his contract reaches that demographic? Ultimately, no, they should not. He’s been great his lone year with the team, the fans embraced and adored him, but he does not fit the needs of this roster moving forward.

The Pelicans could hypothetically have significant cap space moving forward and with the likes of Zion and Jrue+whoever returns in the Davis haul leading the charge of the expedited rebuild, they could make a serious splash in free agency down the road. Should they jeopardize that opportunity for a Julius Randle extension? I mean, he would be a great sixth man, but if the price does exceed to that range, do I have to answer that?

There’s a strong possibility that Randle’s representation recognizes the real threat Zion and a revamped roster could have on his role within the offense. Perhaps his numbers take a significant hit, which would further affect the potential contract he would receive next summer. They could view Randle’s time to strike in free agency as right now, which would put the Pelicans in a tough spot.

It’s imperative the Pelicans construct the best possible roster around Zion Williamson, they must learn from previous mistakes with Anthony Davis. Julius Randle would be a significant loss if he walks, but it’s not like the Pelicans would not be in a good spot moving forward if he were to depart.

Let us know what you think, should the Pelicans engage with the Phoenix Suns in a bidding war if it comes about? Or should they use cap space elsewhere down the road? Comment below!