Lakers: Which Heat Free-Agents-To-Be Would Make Sense For Los Angeles?

We're starting something new here at All Lakers, effective immediately. On Laker game days, we'll explore the opposing team's roster, find their impending free agents and decide who would be the best target for the Lakers to sign this upcoming offseason.

The Lakers take on the Miami Heat at 4:30 pm in South Beach, so that's where we'll begin. Here's a look into which upcoming Heat free agent would be the best fit with the Lakers this offseason, and what it may take to get them.

The Free Agents

So first, we have to start with the background information. Who on the Heat will be a free agent at the end of this season? The options aren't exactly great:

Victor Oladipo, Udonis Haslem, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Omer Yurtseven, Orlando Robinson and Jamal Cain.

We'll start by ruling out the latter three along with Haslem. Yurtseven, Robinson and Cain haven't shown much yet to be worth making a deal happen, and Haslem has one foot in the door as an assistant coach on the Heat bench.

The Contenders

So that leaves us with Oladipo, Vincent or Strus. None of them are superstars by any means, but they each could contribute in different ways.

Oladipo has the best track record of the three, as he was an All-Star in back-to-back years in the 2017-18 season, and the 2018-19 season with the Pacers. However, he's pretty far removed from being that player.

This year, Oladipo is averaging 8.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in nine games. He made his 2022 debut just a few weeks ago, and is still working his way back. It's a little too early to decide if he would be a smart investment next season — he'll be 31-years-old this offseason.

Next we'll look at Strus, who's had a pretty productive year with the Heat. He's started 19 out of 32 games, and is averaging 13.1 points on 40% shooting from the field and 33.5% from three. He's a strong candidate to sign an extension with Miami in the offseason.

As for Vincent, when he plays, he's a pretty productive scorer — but he's been in and out of the lineup over the last few seasons. In 20 games this season, Vincent has scored nine points per game, and is struggling to shoot the ball — he's under 40% from the field and 30% from three. He's no more than a backup point guard right now, but does have the ability to score points in bunches. His career-high is 27 points.

The Decision

So, with all that being said, my pick is going to be the former two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo. I like the idea of Strus, but I don't see him leaving Miami. There's a good chance Oladipo tests the open market again, and maybe, just maybe, the Lakers can bring back some of his old magic. He won't cost a lot, so it could be a fun flier.