Sacramento Kings center Hassan Whiteside is one of the veteran big men who is expected to be traded during the 2020-21 NBA season. With the team currently heading into another huge disappointment, most people think the Kings will try flipping his expiring contract into precious assets before the 2021 trade deadline, rather than lose him in the 2021 free agency without getting anything in return. Once he becomes officially available on the trading block, several title contenders who are in need of a frontcourt boost are expected to express a strong interest in acquiring him.
One of the potential landing spots for Whiteside is the Los Angeles Lakers. In a recent article, Brett Siegel of NBA Analysis Network suggested a hypothetical deal that would send Whiteside to Los Angeles. In the proposed trade scenario, the Lakers would be getting Whiteside, Glenn Robinson III and a 2021 second-round pick for a package including Marc Gasol and Talen Horton-Tucker.
Sacrificing a young and promising player like Horton-Tucker for a one-year rental may be a tough decision for the Purple and Gold. However, Siegel believes trading for Whiteside would make a lot of sense for the Lakers, especially now that Anthony Davis is currently on the sideline due to an injury.
“With Anthony Davis dealing with complications with his Achilles, pursuing a shot blocker like Hassan Whiteside could help the Lakers maintain some of their defensive prowess if Anthony Davis were to be sat down to recover. They would not ask Whiteside to play more than 20-minutes per game since they have Montrezl Harrell coming in off-the-bench, but in the time he is on the court for the Lakers, Whiteside would definitely help make this Lakers team even better defensively.”
Whiteside would undeniably be a welcome addition to Los Angeles. Compared to Gasol, he’s more capable of filling the huge hole left by JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard on the Lakers’ frontcourt. Aside from being a quality rim protector, he would also give them a very reliable scoring option under the basket and a great rebounder. His numbers may not look impressive this season but when he’s given enough playing time, he could turn himself into a double-double machine.
The Lakers would also be getting Robinson and a future second-rounder. Robinson would give them a decent defender and another three-point threat in the wing, while the future second-round selection could allow them to add another talented prospect to their roster.
Meanwhile, the proposed scenario should be a no-brainer for the Kings. They would be sending an expiring deal to Los Angeles and receiving a veteran mentor for their young players in Gasol and a young and promising talent in Horton-Tucker, who could join their core that features De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III and Tyrese Haliburton.