Lakers extend qualifying offer to Julius Randle

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.