3 impending free agents the Los Angeles Lakers should target

Los Angeles Lakers free-agent target: Hassan Whiteside

Hassan Whiteside is in such an unusual place in his career.

He is a double-double machine but with most teams set at the center position and with very few teams rushing out to offer big money again to a player who famously has proven to not make his teammates better, the market for Hassan might not be all that plentiful.

Takeaway the narrative that Hassan Whiteside doesn’t make the team he is on better and you get a player who is putting up monster numbers every season.

Having averaged a double-double in points and rebounds for 6 seasons straight, as well as being an elite rim protector, it is baffling that Whiteside will not be the hottest of commodities come this Summer.

With so many potential big men available and so few teams with cap space and even fewer teams willing to spend that cap space on a player who has been criticized for his attitude and behavior in the past, it might be time for Hassan to take a short term deal to compete for a title and wait for the 2021 off-season to see if he can pick up another big contract.

Similar to the Gasol, you might ask, why do the Lakers need another big man when they have JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard, and potentially DeMarcus Cousins.

When someone offers you a player that averages 16.3PPG, 14.2RPG, and 3.1BPG! at an extremely reasonable price, you say thank you very much and do the deal immediately.

Whiteside is averaging this while being the 3rd or 4th option on any given night!.

This is ideal for the Los Angeles Lakers.

You get a player who is going to get buckets even when the ball isn’t running through him. You get a lob threat, you get a big man capable of running the floor, you get an elite rim protector and rebounder and you get him at a price that is hard to believe.

It wouldn’t shock anyone if some team decides to pay Whiteside if not, let’s hope the Lakers can turn his elite production into wins and championships.