Julius Randle
Randle is playing the best all-around basketball of his career this season, averaging 13.4 points per game and connecting on 55.4 percent of his field goals. He’s grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game, and is staying on smaller guards defensively when switched on the perimeter.
The first appeal for Randle in this deal would be the chance to return to Dallas and play in his hometown. Randle was born in Dallas and went to high school at Prestonwood Christian, an athletic powerhouse in Plano, Texas, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan.
The on-court allure of joining the Mavericks and playing under Rick Carlisle would be a great move for Randle. Carlisle is one of the best coaches in the league, consistently getting the most out of players and fielding competitive teams, despite what their record has shown recently.
Carlisle usually runs a high pick and-roll system with shooters spotting up around the perimeter. Randle is at his best setting these screens, rolling to the basket and attacking the rim or dishing it off to a teammate — something he does often for the Lakers. A Dennis Smith Jr.-Randle pick-and-roll combo could be dynamic, and Randle would play with the most explosive guard of his career.
The Mavs have one player to build around in Smith and figure to get another building block with a high draft pick on deck for this offseason. If Randle showed his value in their system, a Smith-Randle-Harrison Barnes (I value him more than most)-and whoever they choose this time around is a promising core to lead the post-Dirk Nowitzki era into the future.