The Los Angeles Lakers could be looking to acquire some new players prior to this year's trading deadline, and one of their targets may be Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside.

Whiteside was a relative unknown heading into last year, but since earning the starting center spot for the Heat, the young big man has shown a preternatural ability to protect the rim, while also showing off remarkable rebounding skills.

Whiteside is also just 26 years old, making him a potential building block for any team that has him.

That's also why he may soon find himself on a new team.

Whiteside is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, and with the young big man given the ability to pick his new home, the Heat could actually lose him for nothing.

While the Heat may want to sign him long-term, there's also a chance that Whiteside would rather go into free agency, and if that's the case, then a trade could be in order.

Currently, the Los Angeles Lakers are being rumored as one of the teams with great interest in signing the young center.

According to The Inquisitr, the Los Angeles Lakers already have a promising core of players made up of D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson, and with Kobe Bryant's contract also set to come off the books at the end of the year, the team may also find itself in position to drastically improve over the course of one off-season.

This is where Whiteside fits in, as he could be the big man anchoring the Lakers' defense for years to come.

With the Heat unsure they can sign the big man long term and the Lakers looking for a new center, the foundation of a trade seems to be in place, although more clarity regarding this matter will likely be available closer to the trading deadline.

Whiteside or not, the Lakers still figure to be active during this trading season.

According to Lakers Nation, the team currently has some veterans they could deal for other assets.

Frontcourt players Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert along with guards Lou Williams and Nick Young are all veterans who seemingly don't figure into the Lakers' future, and they may soon be traded to teams that are more competitive.

In any case, the trading season figures to be a busy time for the Los Angeles Lakers, and there's a good chance that their roster by the end of the year will look very different from the one they have now.