The Los Angeles Lakers offseason priorities could be centered in signing top defenders, which could mean pairing Hassan Whiteside and Harrison Barnes in Purple and Gold.
There is no doubt the Lakers have a lot of work to do in the offseason to improve their roster and find a star or two to turn the franchise back into the NBA title hunt.
Acquiring OKC Thunder superstar Kevin Durant could be a long shot for the Lakers, but alternative signings of Miami Heat's Whiteside and Golden State Warriors' Barnes should fit well in the team's priority signings in July.
According to Zack Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Lakers need to shop for defensive stoppers even if it means including their top-three protected pick. Buckley pointed out LA's dismal effort on the defensive end, having surrendered 109.7 points in 100 possessions this season, which is the NBA's worst mark by nearly two full points.
"L.A. needs stoppers like the rest of us need air. If it can salvage its top-three protected pick, the franchise should spend that and its potential $64 million of cap room on defenders," Buckley wrote.
Whiteside, who has been linked to several teams during the trade frenzy last month, would instantly boost the Lakers' interior defense and rim protection with his career-high average of 3.9 blocks per game. His 13.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game average would also be a huge upgrade over any center the Lakers had in the past three seasons.
However, Whiteside has insisted he wants to be on a "winning program" instead of a "losing franchise," reported the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Lakers are certainly not the "winning program" Whiteside has described, which does not bode well for the 16-time NBA champs chances of signing the 26-year-old center big man.
Meanwhile, Barnes has been insistent he has not thought of his future yet, although rumors around the league have already linked the Warriors forward to several teams, including the Lakers.
Lakers Nation reports last week that Barnes is one of the three wingman the Lakers are expected to pursue in the summer, if they find themselves an unlikely destination for Durant.
"With the possibility of Parsons opting out of his contract with the Mavericks, Harrison Barnes [restricted free agent] and Nicolas Batum are two names the Lakers are expected to pursue as well," the report claimed.
Barnes would offer the Lakers a quality defender at the small forward position as well as a potential star in the making with career-high averages of 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. The 23-year-old would also complement the Lakers' youngsters, creating a young pack of talented players.
But unlike Whiteside, Barnes is set to become a restricted free agent, although the 7th overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft may come up as too pricey for the Warriors if the Lakers offer a max contract.
Pulling off such deals in the offseason would not be easy for a team that has lost its glamour to free agents. But if the price is right, the Lakers would have themselves a worthy deal this summer.