A three-for-one trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat is among the latest NBA trade rumors involving some hotshots in the league. The speculated trade involves the Heat sending center Hassan Whiteside to the Lakers in exchange of center Timofey Mozgov, power forward Julius Randle and shooting guard Nick Young.
While initial reports stated the trade appears to favor the Miami Heat with the exchange of one player for three, closer examination would show it is otherwise. It is the Lakers that apparently would get the better end of the barter because the team would acquire Whiteside, upcoming center and one of the futures of NBA. The talent that Whiteside would bring to the Lakers would be worth losing Randle, as some observers noted.
This Is The Better Deal
While Miami would benefit from Randle as a power forward, Mozgov is unreliable to man the middle. What would be a better deal for the Heat is to combine Whiteside and Derrick Williams instead of having Mozgov and Randle on the frontcourt.
But the trade has slim chances of happening because of Whiteside’s impressive preseason game when he made 20 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks in only 23 minutes of play, resulting in a final score of 106-95 versus the Washington Wizard which missed John Wall.
Another reason why it is an unlikely trade is that Mozgov and Whitside just recently inked contracts with their respective teams, and the Heat would unlikely approve of such a deal.
Winslow-Gay Exchange
Besides the three-for-one trade, Sportsrageous reported that the Heat, which are entering the 2016-17 NBA season minus main men Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, plan to send a trade package involving Justine Winslow to exchange him with Rudy Gay of Sacramento Kings.
Bosh has health issues, while Wade became a free agent. It opened the door for Whiteside to lead the team in the upcoming season. The value of Whiteside to the Heat is evident with his signing in summer a $98-million four-year deal.
For Gay, the Heat is an attractive trade destination if the Kings would consider moving him before he becomes a free agent. He had told the Kings of his plan to opt out of his contract and become a free agent next summer, Miami Herald reported.
