Lakers Free Agency: Heat Reportedly Want Hassan Whiteside Below Max
The Heat are rumored to want to sign Hassan Whiteside to less than a max contract, so could that leave an opening for the Lakers in free agency?
No matter what pundits elsewhere say about the future of the Los Angeles Lakers, it would seem that they are in a great position moving forward. Not only do they have young assets such as D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and even Larry Nance Jr. moving forward, but also have the No. 2 overall pick coming in this summer in addition to having a boatload of cap-space.
The question, though, is what the Lakers plan to do with their cap room this offseason. Considering that the Lakers’ only assumed hole in their starting five after the draft should be at center, it would stand to reason that the organization would look to spend there. And one of the most coveted free agents at the position is going to be Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. The only issue has been whether or not the Lakers would be able to lure Whiteside away.
At least slightly, it’s looking more possible that the Lakers might indeed be able to coax Whiteside out of Miami.
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According to a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (h/t to Lakers Outsiders), the Heat plan to try and sign Whiteside for something less than a max contract. The Heat’s plan is to try and convince the big man that, with the lack of income tax and incentives for staying in Miami under the league’s CBA would allow the North Carolina native to make the same amount of money per year that he would elsewhere by signing a max if he re-signs.
While that may seem logical and is an interesting approach, it does seem like the Heat might be playing with fire a bit in this regard—and that might open the door ever so slightly for the Lakers to be able to make a run at Whiteside.
What’s important to note from Jackson’s report, though, is the fact that it doesn’t say that the Heat would never offer Whiteside the max, simply that they would prefer not to. Even still, that little bit of preference could be taken as a slight in the big man’s camp (or something of that ilk) and the Lakers could have a chance to sign him.
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The Lakers were always going to make a run at Hassan Whiteside regardless of the Heat’s plans to re-sign him. However, reports like this make it seem like the chance of success for LA might be higher than expected. As with all of this stuff now, though, it’s all wait-and-see.