Getty Zach Randolph
Zach Randolph is a walking double-double.
Could the Los Angeles Lakers be his next destination?
“I bumped into Zach Randolph at the gym in LA and he was in Lakers sweat suit,” a current NFL player told me via text message yesterday.
Buddy of mine bumped into Zach Randolph in LA today.
He had on Lakers sweats…..
Future Laker?!
Earlier this month, Randolph, 37, was part of the trade that shipped Harrison Barnes to the Sacramento Kings. The actual trade, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, included Randolph and Justin Jackson to the Mavericks in exchange for Harrison Barnes.
Per CBS: The Mavericks most likely agreed to take Randolph back in the deal for salary-matching purposes, as Jackson, a 2017 first-round pick, looks to be the main target here.
Randolph was bought out by the Mavericks shortly after the Barnes trade.
Would the Lakers for Randolph Make Sense?
After striking out on acquiring Anthony Davis at the NBA trade deadline, Randolph could be a viable option.
In 17 seasons, Randolph has posted 6.6 points and 9.1 rebounds with five teams. Randolph has been out of the rotation all season in Sacramento, not even logging a single minute of run.
As for Anthony Davis:
Demps told Magic this is what he wanted:
✅Lonzo
✅Kuzma
✅Ingram
✅Zubac
✅Hart
✅KCP
✅2019 unprotected FRP
✅2020 FRP swap
✅2021 unprotected FRP
✅2022 FRP swap
✅2023 unprotected FRP
✅2019 and 2021 2nd round picks
Lakers said: 👎🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽
The Los Angeles Lakers have been deliberate in watching their cap space all season.
LA added savvy veterans like Tyson Chandler into the fold along with Michael Beasley and Rajon Rondo during the offseason. Beasley has since been traded, waived and signed with a team in China.
Carmelo Anthony Is Also an Option
“It’s a reasonably high chance,” Bleacher Report contributor and NBA capologist, Eric Pincus told Scoop B Radio last month.
“If a roster spot does open up, you can pretty much lock up that Carmelo Anthony will end up with the Lakers.”
The third overall pick in the 2003 draft, Anthony’s last appearance with the Houston Rockets came in a blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Nov. 8 when he had two points and five rebounds.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Houston Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony
“He’d be great for the Lakers,” says a league source. “LeBron can convince him to play off the bench.”
“When the time is right he will speak out,” a source close to Carmelo Anthony told me via e-mail last month.
A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony signed with the Houston Rockets this summer after clearing waivers in a trade that shipped him from the Oklahoma City Thunder the Atlanta Hawks.
In an interview with Taryn Finley of the Huffington Post on Friday, Melo suggested he is at peace with the fact he may not play much longer:
“I’m sure [retirement is] coming soon. I’d be sitting lying to you if I said it’s not coming soon. I think I want it to come soon. I don’t think I want to do this forever, but because you love it so much, it’s hard to give it up. At the end of the day, at anything you do, when it’s your time to go, it’s your time to go. But as long as you feel good with that.”
In the meantime, if not Carmelo Anthony, could a Zach Randolph who was seen working out in LA be a viable option for the Lakers at this point?
According to the New York Times’ Mark Stein, Randolph is expected to have a “sizable buyout market” once he’s free to sign with other teams at a more cost-effective deal, which he now is.
Though Randolph is just one season removed from averaging 14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.6 minutes per game, he seems unlikely to receive close to that level of playing time no matter where he might wind up.
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