It remains to be seen whether or not the Los Angeles Lakers will take some action and make some roster moves, now that they have dropped their fourth straight game — a heartbreaking Christmas Day loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. But if they do decide to shake things up, they could have several options to choose from, including disgruntled Miami Heat shooting guard Dion Waiters, as suggested by former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins.
As reported by Heat Nation on Wednesday, Perkins made the recommendation earlier this week, as he took to Twitter to air his thoughts on Waiters’ situation and that of the Lakers. As pointed out by the publication, the 28-year-old former lottery selection has yet to play a single game in the 2019-20 season, having been suspended three times by the Heat due to various disciplinary issues. However, Perkins’ tweet focused more on what Waiters could offer on the court — an ability to put points on the board as a high-scoring two-guard.
“Dion Waiters would be perfect for the Lakers,” the ex-NBA center/forward offered. “All he would have to do is just go get buckets and that’s what he do!”
Although trading for Waiters could, in theory, provide the Lakers’ bench with a sorely needed scoring threat, Heat Nation opined that the eight-year veteran might not be the best fit for Los Angeles, especially given the apparent concerns regarding his behavior. Furthermore, the outlet pointed out that buying out Waiters’ contract — which is due to expire after the 2020-21 season — does not appear to be a likely scenario.
DWade discussing the Dion Waiters situation in Miami with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson ? https://t.co/R98PPXHSeg pic.twitter.com/pagyC5U3TG
— Brendan Tobin (@Brendan_Tobin) December 19, 2019
As it stands, separate rumors have suggested that Waiters’ NBA career might be in jeopardy, with one unnamed league executive recently telling ESPN’s Bobby Marks that the shooting guard’s contract essentially makes him “close to untradable,” per Bleacher Report . The outlet further cited Marks, who added that the Heat don’t have any plans either to bundle their promising young players — including, but not limited to, Bam Adebayo, Kendrick Nunn, and Tyler Herro — in a trade package in order to “incentivize” any potential deal involving Waiters.
Perkins’ suggestion that the Lakers find a way to acquire Waiters marks one of at least two instances this week where a source made an arguably unorthodox recommendation for the team’s next big move in the 2019-20 season. As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Complex’s recent list of potential trade targets the Lakers should consider before the February trade deadline included point guard Derrick Rose, who is playing well as a Detroit Pistons reserve, though still far removed from his MVP-winning performance in the 2010-11 NBA season.