Time is running out for the Lakers to trade Randle as so much of their fanbase wants. But every game where he undeniably contributes to a win just makes it harder for anybody in the front office to pull the trigger. Take this game for example: he FEASTED on Dragan Bender’s Euroey softness with some crude but effective post play. He was ruthless. He wanted to score and he did.
The Lakers front office has to be honest with themselves: is Julius part of the team going forward or nah? If he is, you keep him and pay him next year. If he isn’t, you trade him now before he walks for nothing. If the answer to that question is unknown, well, they have only a few days to figure out the answer. I’ll give them a tip: it’s a lot easier to figure out these tough personnel decisions when you’re just some guy on the internet who’s watching the whole situation unfold from afar. They should load up on Mountain Dew and Doritos, hole up in a windowless conference room, play Team Fortress 2 for eight hours straight, and then make a decision on Randle by posting threads on reddit and seeing what everyone else thinks. That way, emotions and personal relationships don’t have to get involved.