LA Lakers rumors 2016: Is Julius Randle becoming a problem player?

Julius Randle[photo: YouTube screen capture/GD's Latest Highlights]

Julius Randle is struggling and all that started when he and rookie D'Angelo Russell lost their starting jobs in what head coach Byron Scott calls an experiment, which is seen as something that would be for the good of the team.

The period of that experiment had already lapsed, but it seems that his playing time will continue to dwindle. And for that, Randle is not happy.

All of that was seen when the Lakers played the Phoenix Suns. There was an instance wherein he demanded from guard Marcelo Huertas the ball and then another in which he was seen pouting for being taken out of the game.

In all, Randle is not happy, and it seems he is not afraid to admit it and show his disgust. Scott is obviously aware of it.

For his part, Scott says that Randle needs to "grow up," as reported by ESPN. He calls the Randle outbursts as immature and unless Randle learns the ropes, more instances of it will occur in the future.

This is because Scott is planning to continue his style and that includes plucking out players like Randle at times. In a way, this is a rift that will slowly develop into something big which may force the hand of the Lakers at one point on whom of the two to keep.

It is no secret that Scott hasn't exactly proven to be a good coach, failing to work with the young guys and stubbornly standing his ground. Not that Scott is a bad coach, but if the Lakers' current record is any indication, something is just not right.

On Randle's part, he just has to ride with the tide. He hasn't exactly proven himself to be a great player and obviously he still has a lot of work to do in his career.

But the question now is whether or not this issue could spark some trade rumors involving Randle. Remember the DeMarcus Cousins trade rumor? Randle could be part of that.