The Los Angeles Lakers are currently the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, holding a record of 25-13 thus far. They are desperately itching to get back to the postseason so they can try to defend their NBA crown. While that is the case, the Lakers are in dire need of frontcourt help and are said to be eyeing Sacramento Kings’ center Hassan Whiteside.
This news should not come as too much of a shock since the Lakers have been rumored in talks involving various big men. Whiteside just happens to be the most recent name being floated around.
According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers are said to be “monitoring the developments” of the two-time blocks champion. The big man has missed close to three weeks due to the league’s health and safety protocols.
A player of Whiteside’s caliber would certainly change the dynamic of the purple and gold. Their depth down low has not been the same as it was in 2020 when Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee were on the team.
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To put it mildly, Marc Gasol has underwhelmed during his stint with the Lakers. On the other hand, while Montrezl Harrell has been a sparkplug off the pine for Los Angeles, he is undersized. This could prove to be a serious problem in the postseason for a group hoping to run it back.
Another reason why the Lakers could use an injection in the frontcourt is due to the ongoing status of superstar Anthony Davis. Per the same report by Haynes, Davis will miss at least another two weeks because of a lingering calf strain and Achilles tendinosis.
Although the Lakers did sign center Damian Jones to a second 10-day contract recently, time will tell whether the team keeps him. Teams are only allowed to grant players two such pacts per year, so the Lakers will eventually have a decision to make. Even if the Lakers opt to keep Jones, though, having more depth never hurt anyone.
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Despite Whiteside being under consideration, he is not the only center L.A. is mulling over. Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Andre Drummond has also been on their radar and seems to be their ideal target.
As a matter of fact, per Haynes, the Lakers view Whiteside more so as “a nice contingency plan.” Nevertheless, it is wise to have a plan B scenario in case Andre Drummond does not pan out for the 17-time champs.
With respect to Andre Drummond, the Lakers would almost certainly have to hope he gets bought out. Trading for him would require a lot of assets due to his albatross of a contract, and the Lakers may not be able to realistically make such a deal happen.
On the other hand, Hassan Whiteside would not require nearly as much in return. Despite that, the Lakers may choose to wait things out and aim to acquire Whiteside via the buyout market.
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Whiteside would likely welcome a change of scenery if Los Angeles ended up picking him up. His role with Sacramento has been inconsistent since Marvin Bagley III and Richaun Holmes are ahead of him in the rotation.
It is reasonable to assert that the former Marshall product’s best days are behind him. However, he is still more than capable of wreaking havoc in the middle. Christian Rivas of Silver Screen & Roll recently provided insight as to why Whiteside would be a good fit for the Lakers.
“Whiteside fits the mold of the type of player the Lakers are looking to add to their roster: an athletic big man that can throw down lobs on offense and block shots on the defensive end, the latter of which he’s shown he can do at an elite level.”
If the Lakers bring Whiteside aboard from the Kings, he would be a perfect addition. As Rivas described, the Lakers really need someone who is not afraid to protect the paint and Hassan would fill that void for them.
The Kings’ center is averaging 1.3 blocks over the span of a little over 14 minutes of action per night. Last season the big fella averaged close to three blocks a game, though, which shows he still carries a lot of defensive value.
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Hassan Whiteside has also been extremely efficient throughout his career and has likewise never been a disappointment on the boards. The veteran boasts a career mark of 11.4 rebounds per game although that number has gone down this year due to his reduced role.
Having a backup that can play elite defense like Anthony Davis would be a major boost to the Lakers’ championship aspirations. Therefore, acquiring Hassan Whiteside from the Kings would be a solid backup plan for Los Angeles.
