Soon-to-be free agent center Hassan Whiteside is one of the top players that’ll be on the market this summer. With that said, free agency has yet to begin, and Whiteside has his sights set on two teams — the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. Continue for updates.
Heat “Losing Ground” - June 30
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical cited a source that said the Dallas Mavericks are the “frontrunner” to land Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. He also noted that the Miami Heat have “lost ground on him.”
Whiteside is one of the most defensively dominant big men we’ve seen in a while. He’s a seven-footer with ridiculously long arms and freak athleticism, creating the perfect specimen for rim protection. Before turning himself into a household name with the Heat, the former second-round pick spent two seasons with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-12. He was then passed on by every team for two years before Miami gave him a chance in 2013-14. After his incredible first season with Miami where he averaged 11.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks, everyone around the league was waiting to see what Whiteside did for a full season.
He did not disappoint.
Improvements were made across the board, and he set career-highs in almost every category. His scoring average jumped up to 14.2, and rebounds rose to 11.8, and his 3.7 blocks per game led the NBA. The Heat were exponentially better on defense knowing that they had him clogging the paint and, according to Basketball-Reference, his defensive rating per 100 possessions was 95, giving him the league lead in that as well.
He’s too powerful on defense and the boards to not receive a max contract. Moreover, his offensive game is slowly developing, and he isn’t a “hack-a-player” candidate like Andre Drummond or DeAndre Jordan, allowing the coaches to leave him on the floor at the end of games.
