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The NBA bomb dropper himself, Adrian Wojnarowski put out a column about the NBA trade deadline, which mentionings former Kentucky Wildcats Julius Randle and DeMarcus Cousins as players that teams will ask about.
Julius Randle’s time in Los Angeles this season has been turbulent to say the least. It started at the beginning of the season when Randle was pulled from the starting unit. He did not get an extension in the off-season and wore a sweater to a November game that said, “Pay Me.”
This has been by far, Randle’s most productive season. While playing less minutes, he has maintained his scoring average and his per 36 numbers have taken a big leap.
Any team would be lucky to have Randle and the Lakers want to get rid of him. They feel they have a real chance to sign a big time free agent this summer and Julius Randle would stand in the way of that if they paid him.
That is what makes trading for Randle so complicated. He will be a restricted free agent this summer meaning any team that trades for him will have the chance to pay him this summer, but they could very easily lose him.
The other Wildcat mentioned in the article was DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins was listed under the Untouchable section of the article, but there is some reason to believe that New Orleans could be contemplating a move.
Remember, Cousins and his agent said that any team that traded for DeMarcus and ruined his chances for a super max contract would not be his future team.
This is a big summer for the Pelicans. They are capped out and do not have the money to sign a free agent if Cousins leaves, but they can re-sign him because they have his Bird Rights.
If they trade him, they can get back some nice wings that could go well next to Anthony Davis. With Davis and Cousins having great seasons, the Pelicans are only 20-19. If they lose him for nothing in free agency, the team is going to be in trouble. Would Anthony Davis request a trade? The Pelicans have a lot of thinking to do.
Whether Julius Randle or DeMarcus Cousins are moved, the NBA trade deadline is always a great time of year.