1) He’s clearly looking forward to beginning the next chapter of his NBA career in New Orleans, tweeting just hours after signing on July 2 “Mannnnnnnnn tooooo excited!! Excited about the future. Let’s get to work! @PelicansNBA.”
2) Born in Dallas, Randle attended high school in nearby Plano and went on to play one year of college basketball at the University of Kentucky, a popular spot for future Pelicans players. He was the No. 7 pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers, sandwiched between Marcus Smith (sixth, Boston) and Nik Stauskas (eighth, Sacramento). Coincidentally, Randle was selected three picks before brand-new Pelicans teammate Elfrid Payton (10th officially by Philadelphia, but traded immediately to Orlando).
3) Only 23 years old despite four years of NBA experience, Randle is coming off a career-best season with the Lakers, highlighted by a scoring average of 16.1 points (up from 13.2 the previous season, when he actually played more minutes per game). He shot a career-best 55.8 percent from the field, easily surpassing his previous best of 48.8 percent in 2016-17.
4) Over the past three regular seasons, Randle has played in a total of 237 games (out of a possible 246), including “perfect attendance” last season, appearing in all 82 Lakers games. He was one of just 26 players in the NBA to not miss a game, a list headlined by LeBron James. Randle was among only 14 players who appeared in all 82 games while also averaging at least 26 minutes per game.
5) Despite never missing a game, Randle seemed to get stronger as last season progressed, including increasing his key averages nearly across the board. He averaged 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game prior to the All-Star break, but bumped those to 19.5 points and 9.4 following the midseason hiatus. Beginning with a career-high 36-point eruption in a March 13 win over Denver, Randle reeled off nine consecutive games of 20-plus points. Los Angeles also enjoyed uncanny success when he was a prolific rebounder, going 7-1 when he pulled down 13-plus boards.