Much of the NBA talk this week has involved the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers, and for good reason with the two teams agreeing to a blockbuster trade that will send Anthony Davis to the Lakers for a number of players and picks. 

It’s fitting, then, that the latest news involves a player who has spent his entire career with those two franchises. According to a report from Shams Charania, Julius Randle is not expected to pick up his player option with the Pelicans for next season, and will become an unrestricted free agent. 

Randle signed a one-plus-one deal with the Pelicans last summer, but is wisely opting out after putting together an impressive season down in the Big Easy. The lefty forward took on a bigger role in the wake of Davis’ trade request, and put together the best season of his young career. 

Not only did he average 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, but he showed off a more versatile offensive game by shooting 34.4 percent from 3-point land on nearly three attempts per game. 

It will be interesting to see where Randle ends up, but there figures to be plenty of interest in him. He’s still only 24 years old and is coming off an excellent season where he not only showed improvement in some key areas, but the ability to handle a major role on offense. 

He could be in for a major payday, especially if a team such as the Brooklyn Nets or New York Knicks miss out on a star free agent.