Julius Randle cleared for non-contact basketball activity

As Julius Randle's disappointing rookie season draws to a close, hope beckons his sophomore campaign.

The Los Angeles Lakers freshman was selected seventh overall in June but lasted only 14 minutes this season, unceremoniously breaking his leg in his first career outing. That's resulted in what's essentially a redshirt season, with Randle forced to spend his time rehabilitating and watching rather than playing and developing.

Randle received some promising news on Sunday as it pertains to his recovery and how he'll enter his first offseason as a pro. After meeting with a doctor Sunday, Randle was cleared for on-court basketball activity, which includes jumping and shooting.

The Kentucky product can't participate in contact drills quite yet, but the early removal of on-court restrictions is a positive sign. The team has been hopeful that Randle will be ready in time for Summer League in July, and with four months seems plenty of time for Randle to progress to that stage.

"I feel fine," Randle said Monday, revealing that he no longer feels any pain in his surgically-repaired leg or foot. "I've been eating the right stuff, keeping my weight down."

Randle will begin traveling with the team in order to work with the team's physical therapy staff. Later this offseason, he'll be working out with Kobe Bryant in Orange County.

In his lone appearance as a rookie, Randle scored two points on 1-of-2 shooting and committed a turnover. He had been relatively impressive in Summer League, averaging 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in four games, and averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in six preseason games.

It's difficult to know what to expect from Randle entering 2015-16. It's a season that is largely up in the air for the Lakers, with Bryant in perhaps his final year, the team flush with cap space, Randle returning and another top-five pick potentially joining him.