The Los Angeles Lakers have become the likely destination for Hassan Whiteside in free agency, with the Miami Heat reportedly planning on offering the center less than max contract.
The Heat are in a difficult situation of retaining Whiteside, one of the team's soon-to-be free agents. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, despite Whiteside likely commanding a max contract from teams in free agency, the Heat are not inclined to give the rising big man a max deal.
Jackson claimed that Whiteside would like to stay in Miami if "all things are equal financially," which simply means getting the money Whiteside deserves following a breakthrough season that saw him average 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. But with the Heat not in play of giving Whiteside any max deal, with Dwyane Wade also the team's priority in free agency, other teams like the Lakers could be ready to pounce at the 26-year-old center.
If there is one major factor that could affect free agents this summer, it would probably the lucrative deals they could get from teams with the league's new TV deal set to kick in in the offseason, giving NBA clubs a spike in salary cap space.
Whiteside, one of the most coveted free agents in this year's class, could the max deal he wishes to receive from the Lakers, who have a staggering $62.6 million in salary cap space to chase top free agents this summer.
With Whiteside, who signed with the Heat for a two-year $1.7 million deal, the Lakers would have a young-talented center who could play effectively on both ends of the floor and complement in the team's pact of young talents.
The Lakers are in need of defense inside the paint as they finished the regular season second in most points allowed in the paint per game with 47.7 points (via Team Rankings). Adding Whiteside, who posted a league-leading 3.7 blocks per contest, should instantly improve LA's defensive unit inside the paint.
The Lakers have been an unattractive destination for free agents in the past few years, but with the team having a core of young talent and the possibility to add another young promising talent in the 2016 NBA draft, LA could once again become one of the top destinations for free agents.