Written by Eric Goldwein at WashingtonPost.com
The Los Angeles Lakers may not be the star destination they once were after last summer’s failed pitches (yes, multiple) to LaMarcus Aldridge and the recent reports that they’re not even getting a meeting with Kevin Durant.
Like most teams, the Lakers have cap room. And they are reportedly trying to spend it on free agent Hassan Whiteside, who appears ready to field their offer.
On Friday, Whiteside posted a cryptic message on Snapchat, “I’m a businessman that plays basketball.” Saturday afternoon, ESPN reported that the Lakers plan to aggressively pursue him when free agency begins.
Whether this would be a good move for the Lakers is unclear. Los Angeles needs a center, but it needs help in a lot of places. Whiteside is a talented shot blocker and rim protector, but he’s been far from a model of consistency. He’s also had problems staying healthy. He sat out most of the second-round series against Toronto with a knee injury and he played only 48 games in 2014-15. Overpaying injury-prone players is part of what got the Lakers into this mess in the first place.
Then again, beggars can’t be choosers. The Lakers went 17-65 last season, and while prized rookie Brandon Ingram and talented second-year standout D’Angelo Russell present hope for the future, the team as currently constructed is a long shot for the playoffs. The lure of the championship banners, the history and the purple and gold may no longer be enough to score a meeting with superstars, let alone sign them. That the Lakers no longer have false hope might be good for their future, as they can move on to more realistic targets.
As for Whiteside, Los Angeles could be a good business and basketball decision. A second-round pick in 2010, Whiteside spent the first four seasons of his career bouncing around the D-League before breaking out with the Heat last season. The 7-foot center continued to develop as a defender this past season while under contract for less than $1 million. Whether he opts to stay in Miami or sign a max deal with another team, he’ll likely get paid more in 2016-17 than he has in total thus far for his career.
To continue reading this article, click here.
