Los Angeles Lakers: The 3 best moves that Rob Pelinka can make
By Jason Reed
2. The Los Angeles Lakers signing Hassan Whiteside
Victor Oladipo is the better all-around player than Hassan Whiteside and you can even make the case that Oladipo is the best player on this list. However, because of team needs as well the method of acquiring these players, Whitside ranks higher than Oladipo.
It is no secret by now that the Los Angeles Lakers not only need a backup center to help Marc Gasol but that the team is actually pursuing that as well. We have been bringing up this truth here at Lake Show Life for months and we should see a move in the coming weeks… hopefully.
Whiteside is one of the names connected to the Lakers and he would be a solid addition for the team. While he is a former all-star, he is not someone who is going to be a massive needle-mover for the Lakers but is going to give the team exactly what it needs to prevent any mismatches in the NBA Playoffs.
Whiteside signed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings and there is really no reason for the Kings to keep him this season. A buyout is certainly possible as Whiteside may not generate trade interest, but the Lakers could easily trade for him as well.
All it would take is Alfonzo McKinnie and a protected (top 40) future second-round pick to get this deal done. The value is extremely low and I would still rank a Whiteside trade like this over an Oladipo trade as they really are not giving up much.