After the Los Angeles Lakers could not land a superstar in last year’s free agency, the storied franchise moved on to ‘Plan B’ which included acquiring Carlos Boozer on amnesty waivers. While Julius Randle was expected to play major minutes, he suffered a season-ending injury in the team’s opener and Boozer started 26 games for head coach Byron Scott.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
With Boozer set to turn 34 years old next season, he is likely looking to join a contender. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Boozer’s associate would not be surprised if he joined the Miami Heat next season:
As associate of veteran power forward Carlos Boozer said Boozer wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up with the Heat next season (almost assuredly at the minimum).
Boozer, who spends a lot of time in Miami, can still play as a backup (11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 49.9 percent from the field for the Lakers), but signing him makes sense only if Josh McRoberts or (less likely) Udonis Haslem is dealt.
While the Heat failed to make the playoffs this past season, they will likely be a contender in the Eastern Conference if they are able to re-sign Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic in free agency. With Chris Bosh returning from blood clots that ended his season prematurely and the emergence of Hassan Whiteside, there is an opportunity for a deep postseason run — especially in the East.
For the Lakers, they are looking to improve their overall talent after failing to make the playoffs these past two seasons. With Julius Randle and potentially Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor on the roster next season, they could also bolster the frontcourt by pursuing an All-Star caliber player like Kevin Love with a max contract.
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