Los Angeles Lakers: 3 minimum free agents that should have been signed

By Jason Reed | Dec 16, 2020

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 18: JaVale McGee #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Portland Trail Blazers battle under the basket during the second half in Game 1 of Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 18, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Minimum free agents that would have fit nicely on the Los Angeles Lakers: 1. Hassan Whiteside

There is a weird effect that happened with Hassan Whiteside that we always see happen to NBA players. Solid NBA players will get terrible contracts that make them overpaid, thus ruining their value in the process.

Whiteside was so overpaid that many have underrated him as a result. He definitely was not worth the contract that he was getting paid but he was far from being a bad basketball player.

Whiteside agreed to a minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings, so the Los Angeles Lakers will see plenty of him this season. While the Lakers did sign Marc Gasol, getting another traditional center like Whiteside could have been great for the rotation.

I still do not fully buy-in on Montrezl Harrell being the team’s backup five off the bench. And while he will get minutes alongside Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol to help that outlook, I still think the team would have benefitted from signing someone such as Whiteside over a locker room guy, like Jared Dudley.

Whiteside is an anchor down low and offers great rebounding and shot-blocking capabilities. He might be a bit overqualified to be a bench center but he only signed a minimum deal anyway, so why not come to LA and contend for a championship?

This would have taken some of the burden off of Marc Gasol, who is getting up there in age, and would have given the team center depth that they still do not really have. If Gasol gets hurt then the Lakers are going to scramble a bit at the position.

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