NBA Trade Rumors: Are the Miami Heat Stuck With Hassan Whiteside?
The Miami Heat did all they could, but at the end of the day, the talent of the Philadelphia 76ers proved too much to handle. The Heat lost their first round series to the 76ers 4–1, and now, the Florida-based franchise must find a way forward, but before they can do that, they may need to take a step back, examine the roster and determine if they can win big with this group of players.
To be clear, winning 44 games and earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference is not an easy feat for a franchise lacking a so-called superstar, so the Heat should definitely be proud of what they have just accomplished.
Still, this franchise is not known for settling for simply making the playoffs, and it would hardly be surprising if the members of the front office shake up the roster this offseason.
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According to a recent article from the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, one way that the Heat could shake up the roster is to trade their high-priced big man Hassan Whiteside. In the article, Jackson notes that the franchise is "expected to explore a Whiteside trade."
Of course, exploring a trade and executing one are two very different things.
Whiteside did not exactly show potential suitors that he is worth trading for during that first round series with the 76ers as he routinely looked disengaged, and he also seemed discouraged by the lack of playing time he was getting.
Even when 76ers center Joel Embiid returned from injury, Whiteside still hardly made any impact on the floor.
Whiteside is obviously still a capable player, and at just 28-years-old, his best years may still be ahead of him. He still averaged a double-double for the 2017-18 regular season, per Basketball Reference, despite what many perceived as a down season for him, and he remains as a solid rim protector.
The issue, though, is that the way things are going in the NBA, Whiteside may be better off serving as a situational player unless he develops a jumper or a better passing game this summer.
If the Heat had a tough time finding playing time for Whiteside, then other NBA teams will likely have that problem as well.
Add to that the fact that Whiteside is owed more than $25 million for the 2018-19 season and that he has a $27 million player option for the following year, and it's becoming harder and harder to imagine the Heat being able to move him this summer.
The Heat may need to attach a draft pick just to trade Whiteside, and considering that they already lacking those, they may just be better off holding on to the big man and hoping that he commits himself to getting better on the court this offseason.
There's a chance that the Heat are stuck with Whiteside, but that does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. Whiteside is a supremely talented player, and if he learns to harness more of his abilities, he can still be a real asset for the Heat.
More news about the latest NBA trade rumors should be made available soon.
