The gamble the Heat took on Hassan Whiteside two years ago has backfired, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, and they are left with the choices of keeping him and his huge cap hit or trading him for virtually nothing. Whiteside still has two seasons remaining [including a $27.1MM player option for 2019/20] on the four-year deal he signed in the summer of 2016.
The Heat are open to dealing their starting center, but Bontemps warns they may not like the offers they get. He suggests the Mavericks might be interested if they can’t land a big-name free agent, with Dwight Powell going to Miami in return. Other possibilities Bontemps sees for Whiteside are heading to New York in exchange for Joakim Noah [owed roughly $37MM over the next two years] and the Bulls’ second-rounder or to Phoenix for Brandon Knight [$29MM over two years] and Tyson Chandler‘s expiring $13.6MM deal.
There’s more today out of Miami:
- The Heat are counting on Dion Waiters to solidify the shooting guard position once he returns from ankle surgery, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Waiters was limited to just 30 games before the January operation, and doctors aren’t sure if he will be ready for training camp or the start of the season. “I don’t think he’s felt right, physically, since when he first got here,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He got in great shape, but once he injured his ankle, then he was always dealing with that. This is going to be a really important summer for him. He’s going to be here and he’ll be working a ton behind the scenes just to get his legs right, then he’ll work on the next step of getting in world-class shape and then he’ll get into the next phase of really developing his basketball skills.”
- Veteran forward Udonis Haslem isn’t sure whether Dwyane Wade will return for another season, adding he “wouldn’t be surprised” no matter what Wade decides, Jackson relays in the same story. Haslem hasn’t made a decision on his own future, but said he would like to work in the Heat organization when he retires, although not as a coach. He added that he and Wade haven’t discussed a mutual decision. “We’ve both in situations where we have a lot of different opportunities ahead of us,” Haslem said. “Do we want to retire together? In a perfect world it would be great to finish it together. But things don’t always work out like that.”
- After playing just 16 postseason minutes, Rodney McGruder wants a larger role next year, Jackson adds. McGruder had surgery on his leg in October and appeared in 16 regular season games after he returned in February. “I want to play,” he said. “I am happy for my teammates. I love cheering them on. I want to be playing in the playoffs.”
Whiteside himself said he was going to sign with Portland if the Heat didn’t come with that offer. If the Heat would take back some bad contracts, all the overpaid guys on the Portland roster are good chemistry guys and could be good for the Heat just by addition by subtraction of Whiteside. I doubt it’ll happen but I haven’t seen them floated as a possible landing place yet.
Portland will need a center when they let Nurk walk this summer
Good for Portland, but Leonard, Harkless and Turner are too nice for Miami, and they already have midsized guys.
Actually IDK why the Heat cooled, besides icing Whiteside. Probably they do have to wash him away to feel clean again.
I think that really is the reason, once Bam Adebayo has the center position to himself is when I think the Heat will be their best team. Josh Richardson is still developing, Dragic is still playing at a high level, Wayne Ellington was hooping for them, and Olynyk is a nice fit. They play much better going small and Whiteside could be the guy they need to trade. The fit sucks always for Portland because they’re always gonna have the least desirable trade targets, but I could see Whiteside moved for much less than people would think. Spo’s comments give me doubt though, I wish he didn’t say the right things about Whiteside after their season-ender
McGruder should have been starting the whole time since he came back…
I highly doubt the Mavs will trade Powell for Whiteside. They will tie up their money in Julius Randle and possibly draft Bamba. They won’t have a need for him
Maybe Wes Matthews, but still unlikely
The Knicks trade mentioned above actually makes a lot of sense. Whiteside would be the rim protector/rebounder they need in order to allow KP play his preferred position at the 4.
I posted like 7 or 8 trash for trash trades in a previous article. Basically Miami will only get something of discernable value if they take back an even worse contact. Like Mozgov, Noah, Deng. And by value I mean a future 2nd round pick when there are flying cars.
I’d take that trade as a Mavs fan. But Mavs are in the position to wait until after the draft to address their FA/ trading possibilities