Lakers extend qualifying offer to Julius Randle
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The Los Angeles Lakers announced Wednesday they extended a qualifying offer to big man Julius Randle, making him a restricted free agent.
The $5.5-million offer would place a cap hold on him worth $12.4 million, taking away a large chunk of the Lakers' cap space as they attempt to sign big-name free agents LeBron James and Paul George.
If the Lakers come to terms with two max-contract players, they can renounce Randle's rights, turning him into an unrestricted free agent.
After a breakout year, Randle is expected to garner some interest from teams that have cap space or are willing to negotiate a sign-and-trade.
He averaged 16.1 points and eight rebounds per game in his fourth season with the Lakers.