NBA Rumors: Will Hassan Whiteside Be Happy With The Los Angeles Lakers?
The Los Angeles Lakers could benefit from a yet another disgruntled player this offseason. For a team looking to make a huge splash in the free agent market, the Lakers could wind up with Hassan Whiteside, according to Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report.
According to reports, Whiteside is not happy with the way he’s being used in Miami. But still, with two years left on his deal, the Heat will be forced to trade their disgruntled center and hope they can get a fair package in return.
[MarkAds]Even with his struggles during the regular season, it was expected that the Heat would use Whiteside against Joel Embiid and the Sixers in their first-round matchup. However, even with Embiid missing two games, Whiteside only average 15.4 minutes per in five games while putting up 5.2 points and six rebounds. Yes, it’s clear that the Miami Heat no longer has plans for Hassan Whiteside.
What the Lakers could offer, according to Fromal, is the hefty contract of the non-playing Luol Deng, a promising player in Josh Hart, and a second-round pick in 2018. Sadly to say, but this may be one of the best offers the Heat will get for a player they once deemed the future of their franchise.
Will Hassan Whiteside Fit With The Los Angeles Lakers
The one glaring issue with Whiteside has been his inability to stay on the court. During his career, he’s never played more than 77 games in a season. This must be something the Lakers will have to think hard about if they are going to pay him over $50 million over the next two years. But when healthy, Whiteside can produce on the boards and provide great rim protection as he’s averaged 2.5 blocks per game for his career.
These are attributes the Lakers desperately need. Whiteside is only 28-years-old and could fit right into the youth movement the Lakers are creating.
While the Lakers still have other options available such as bringing Brook Lopez back on a cheaper deal, he does not provide the defense and rebounding Whiteside does. The Lakers may balk at this deal due to his contract but if they cannot land LeBron or George, Whiteside may become Plan C.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
