Lakers Rumors: Top Trade, Free-Agency Buzz on No. 2 Pick, Harrison Barnes, More
The Los Angeles Lakers are in need of across-the-board improvement after going 17-65 this season, and sweeping changes are expected via trade and free agency.
L.A. has some intriguing assets at its disposal, including the No. 2 overall selection in the 2016 NBA draft, and it also has money to spend on the open market provided it can convince big-name free agents that a bright future is ahead.
As the offseason quickly approaches, here is a rundown of the latest trade and free-agency rumors making the rounds in Laker land.
No. 2 Overall Pick
While the Lakers' nightmarish season didn't earn them a lottery win over the Philadelphia 76ers, they do own the second pick in the draft, which means they have a golden opportunity to land a franchise cornerstone.
The expectation is that the Sixers will select either LSU's Ben Simmons or Duke's Brandon Ingram, which would leave one of them for the offensively starved Lakers.
Another possibility, however, would be for Los Angeles to shop the pick in hopes of landing an established player who can make a huge impact immediately.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, though, league sources do not expect the Lakers to part with their selection unless a blockbuster offer comes into play.
Although Kobe Bryant is no longer in the fold, the Lakers have a strong nucleus that could get them back into contention in the near future. D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson have all shown flashes of brilliance, and adding another young star to the mix would accelerate their development.
Both Simmons and Ingram can play the wing, which is an area the Lakers need to upgrade, so continuing the rebuilding process and selecting a potential future stud at No. 2 appears to be L.A.'s best bet.
Harrison Barnes
In keeping with the theme of the Lakers needing offensive production on the wing, Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes has emerged as a possible target.
According to Deveney, the Lakers are one of many teams with interest in Barnes and may be willing to pay him as much as $20 million per season.
Barnes is a talented player who was taken with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Dubs. He has served primarily in a complementary role alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, though, resulting in modest career averages of 10.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Barnes has been at his best and most efficient over the past two seasons with a field-goal percentage of 47.4 percent and a three-point percentage of 39.4.
Los Angeles could use that type of production to go along with Russell, Clarkson, Randle and whoever it selects with the No. 2 overall pick, should the team keep it in its possession as expected.
There is definite risk in giving the former North Carolina standout something close to a max contract since he has never been a top scoring option over the course of his four-year NBA career.
Paying for potential isn't uncommon, though, and Barnes is oozing with it. If he becomes the superstar who he appeared to be at various times throughout his collegiate career, then signing him could be the key move that turns the Lakers around.
Hassan Whiteside
Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside has been among the NBA's biggest revelations over the past two seasons, and his development into one of the league's top bigs promises to land him a hefty contract in free agency.
Whiteside averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and an NBA-best 3.7 blocks per game in 2015-16. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team and has proved to be a game-changer at both ends of the floor.
Because of that, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported that the 7-footer is among the top names on the Lakers' free-agent wish list.
Roy Hibbert was a massive disappointment during his first season in L.A., which means the Lakers still have a significant need at center.
Whiteside could complement the offensively minded Randle inside and would fit in well with the Lakers' rebuild, as he is just 27 years of age and has several productive seasons ahead of him.
In addition to that, Whiteside showed some appreciation for Russell before the Lakers drafted him last year:
Provided Russell continues to develop, he and Whiteside could make for a deadly inside-outside combination that could put the Lakers back on track in the Western Conference.
The fact that Whiteside has only two productive seasons under his belt makes signing him to a big deal a somewhat risky proposition, but if what he did in 2015-16 turns out to be the norm, it would be a worthwhile investment.
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