Just hours after the Los Angeles Lakers renounced his rights, the New Orleans Pelicans and forward Julius Randle have agreed to a two-year deal worth $18 million according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Wojnarowski reports that the tenatious recruiting of centre Anthony Davis helped convince Randle to sign in the Big Easy.

The move comes on the heels of an agreement between the Lakers and LeBron James as well as point guard Rajon Rondo. 

Steady improvement has been a theme for Randle since he came into the league in 2014 out of the University of Kentucky.

He has increased both his scoring average and field goal percentage in each of the last three seasons, coming in at 16.1 a night on 55.8 per cent from the floor last season in 82 games for the Lakers.

Randle only played 14 minutes during his rookie season because of a broken right leg he suffered in the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets on opening night. He hasn’t shown many ill-effects of the injury, having only missed a combined nine games over the past three seasons.

The 23-year-old has spent his entire career with the Lakers after being drafted No. 7 overall.