When LeBron James announced his signing to the Lakers in the summer of 2018, he created a veritable earthquake on the NBA planet. The future of several players was conditioned by this decision of the King… including one who immediately decided to leave Los Angeles.
Before the crazy free agency of 2019, the 2018 cuvée had been marked by one name or almost: LeBron James. Free agent in Cleveland after bringing the long-awaited title to the Cavs, the King weighed several options before finally setting his sights on Los Angeles. A choice obviously already paying off, less than 3 years later.
The fact remains that the Lakers were in full reconstruction at the time, and that this arrival upset the careers of many of them. We obviously think of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram, traded a year later to bring Anthony Davis, But they are not the only ones. To tell the truth, a Laker decided to leave outright… as soon as the news of James’s arrival was announced!
Her name ? Julius Randle, who came out of his most successful campaign in the Angelino jersey with more than 16 points and 8 rebounds on average. But aware that the LeBron era was at worst going to happen without him, or at best hurt him, the then 23-year-old interior didn’t procrastinate and quickly made up his mind. SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell reveals:
