Forced To Accommodate For LeBron James, Julius Randle Recalls Lakers Letting Him Go Was His First NBA ‘Wake Up Call’

Julius Randle has spent a decade in the NBA, carving out a career as a multiple-time All-Star and franchise cornerstone for the New York Knicks and now the Minnesota Timberwolves. Originally drafted by the LA Lakers in 2014, the power forward quickly realised the harsh nature of the “business” that is the NBA when they moved on from him in the summer of 2018.

Randle said that when the Lakers let him go to make room for LeBron James, it was his first wake-up call. He realized that the NBA wasn’t just about basketball, but was largely dominated by business and profits.

Randle spent four seasons in LA and was a huge part of their rebuilding phase, planning for life after Kobe Bryant. He kept steadily improving and emerging as one of their few bright spots during a long playoff drought. Still, his growth wasn’t enough to secure his place once a generational superstar arrived.

The 2018 offseason was a turning point for the Lakers. Magic Johnson, then head of basketball operations, had spent months recruiting James, and his efforts paid off when the King signed a four-year deal with the franchise. With LeBron’s arrival came major changes to the roster and team philosophy.

“My first wake-up call was with the Lakers. LeBron was coming to town. They was like, ‘Well, LeBron is coming’. So, you gotta figure it out and that’s how I ended up in New Orleans for a year,” Randle said on the Pardon My Take podcast.

The Lakers immediately shifted into win-now mode, which required surrounding LeBron with experienced veterans and creating financial flexibility. The plan didn’t include keeping a 23-year-old power forward even though he averaged a career-high 16.1 points and 8 rebounds the previous season.

Despite his promising numbers, Randle saw the writing on the wall. And he has used that instance as a lesson for the remainder of his career, realizing that “the business is…it is what it is.”

Rather than sticking around in a diminished role, he requested the Lakers renounce his rights so he could become an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers then signed Rajon Rondo to build a championship-caliber team. Their efforts paid off in 2020 when the LeBron-Anthony Davis-led Lakers bagged the NBA title.

Randle, on the other hand, spent a year in New Orleans and then joined the Knicks, where he truly flourished. The 6ft 9″ forward won the Most Improved Player award in New York and averaged over 22 points and 9 rebounds a game.

He also managed to ensure an All-Star appearance in his last year there. And while Randle did not see much success in the playoffs, his stats with the Knicks were nothing short of exemplary.

Then last year, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he is doing wonders for the team that’s currently playing in the Conference Finals. This is his longest run in the playoffs, and he has become a formidable rebounder. His 24 points in Game 3 managed to buy an extra game for the Wolves as well.

And after going through this journey, one which has taken him through cities and statistical highs and career lows, the 30-year-old admits that his first real “wake-up call” moment in the NBA provided a lesson about how quickly things can change when superstar talent enters the equation.