By declining his $3 million player option for the next season, Dion Waiters became an unrestricted free agent. He was one of the best Miami Heat players last season and he's a big reason why the team went on a 13-game win streak, so there is no doubt that he will be one of the top free agents this summer. Beside the Heat, there are rumors that the Los Angeles Lakers could sign the 25-year old shooting guard.
Miami Heat will have almost $40 million in cap space, but they are not willing to give Waiters a huge contract. On the other side, the Lakers will have just under $20 million available, and they might be willing to spend most of it on Waiters.
Even though Waiters prefers to stay in Miami, he would undoubtedly accept the Lakers' offer if it's much better than the offer he gets from the Heat.
Lakers could benefit from Dion Waiters
Los Angeles Lakers have a core of young players, and adding the 25-year old shooting guard would benefit them a lot. Waiters averaged 15.8 points per game with the Heat, and he also set career highs in rebounds (3.3), assists (4.3) and blocks (0.4) per game. The guard also shot the career-best 39.5 percent from the long range, in what was the most productive season of his career.
Lakers' general manager Rob Pelinka used to represent Waiters, and there's a concern he could give him a big-money contract this summer.
The Lakers have a few great young players, such as D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. They also have the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and will most likely use it to draft Lonzo Ball. With so many great guards on the roster, Waiters most likely wouldn't be a starter on the Lakers, which could be a problem for him.
When he was healthy, he was a starter for the Heat, and he did a great job in that role. Beside getting a big contract, Waiters probably wants to keep his starting position, which is something the Lakers wouldn't be able to give him. On the other side, he would have a starting shooting guard spot in Miami.
Waiters is willing to give discount to Miami
Dion Waiters said he is willing to give a hometown discount to the team that helped revive his career. While this doesn't mean that he would sign for cheap, the Miami Heat could save a lot of money and spend it on another free agent.
Waiters made it clear that he wants to stay in Miami, but we will see how much money the Heat will offer him. He had a great season this year and considering he is 25, he could further improve and become a star player. The Heat could hit a jackpot with Dion Waiters, but they will not overpay him.
