The Los Angeles Lakers have signed a contract with Julius Randle, their first-round pick for the 2014 season after a lot of stalling, as they waited for a potential deal with a superstar free agent.

Randle was actually the seventh-overall pick for the team's rookie draft this year. He signed a rookie deal with the team on Sunday, more than a few days prior to missing out on their bid to get superstar free agent Carmelo Anthony, who eventually decided to go back to the New York Knicks.

It is reported that the LA Lakers postponed signing the rookie contract with Randle, as they wanted to keep the salary of this former forward from Kentucky off their books hoping that Anthony will agree to join the team.

Randle spent one season at Kentucky, wherein he averaged 15.0 points plus 10.4 rebounds. He entered into a four-year deal for about $13.5 million with a team decision for the third as well as the fourth year of the contract. Subsequently, the 19-year-old made his debut with the Lakers in the 2014 Las Vegas Summer League.

Apart from Randle, the Lakers have also made an official announcement regarding their acquisition of Jeremy Lin. He will now move to the Lakers following the team's trade with the Houston Rockets. In fact, the Rockets traded Lin together with a 2015 first-round pick as well as guarded 2015 second-round pick in favor of the rights to Sergei Lischuk, who had moved to the Lakers following a 2011 trade with the New Jersey Nets.

According to Mitch Kupchak, Lakers general manager, acquisition of Lin will make the team better, while Randle will be helpful in the team's rebuilding efforts. He further said that the deal with Lin, reported to be worth $15 million along with an $8 million limit next season, will not have any effect on the team's financial flexibility.

A statement released by Kupchak read, "This trade allows us to acquire a solid player who will make us a better team, as well as draft picks to improve our team in the future, while at the same time allowing us to maintain financial flexibility," adding, "In addition to what he'll bring us on the court, we think Jeremy will be warmly embraced by our fans and our community."