To opt in or not? This is the question that haunts Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside with the 2019 free agency fast approaching. There is one huge reason why he should opt in—$27 million worth of a reason, actually. If he decides to stay in a Heat uniform, Pat Riley and company would be hard-pressed to trade him. Plus, Miami doesn’t want to take in another huge contract like Whiteside’s anyway.
The Heat are not likely to make the playoffs anytime soon unless they can bring in a couple of superstar free agents this summer. And it will be more difficult if Whiteside decides to reside in South Beach for one more season. It’s practically impossible to find another team that would give him a contract close to the one he has with the Heat, but there are a few reasons why he should walk away from Miami next season.
Three of them, actually.
Here they are:
3. Whiteside needs to play with a skilled big man alongside him
Someone has to do the dirty work for a team and that’s what Whiteside does best. He will never be mistaken for Hakeem Olajuwon which is why he has to focus on doing the blue collar work. He is more like Dennis Rodman who was a critical member of championships teams in Detroit and Chicago.
Let someone else do the glamorous tasks. Whiteside was built to grab rebounds and protect the rim. Rather than look for his offense, he should scrap and claw his way for the opportunity to score.
Whiteside would work best alongside players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Aaron Gordon, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic and Brook Lopez. If he gets an opportunity to play with any of these players, he should consider signing with their teams if there’s an offer on the table.
2. Whiteside is better off playing for a championship contender
Players who are highly emotional tend to be more manageable when they know they’re fighting for something more than just a paycheck. Rodman is one such player, with Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest and Draymond Green as other prime examples of mercurial players who went on to be huge contributors to title teams.
The same may be true for Whiteside.
Put him on a team such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets and watch him go to work. He’ll have his usual emotional meltdowns but players like him will police themselves given the right situation where they know that their nightly efforts could result in a ring.
1. Whiteside has worn out his welcome in Miami
Let’s face it. Management and the coaching staff want Whiteside out of their collective hairs. He hasn’t performed as well as he could and Coach Erik Spoelstra can’t seem to find a way to get the best out of his big man. He has been wildly inconsistent and a liability on defense at times, something that was unheard of a few of seasons ago.
The repeated run ins with Spoelstra, questions about his conditioning and effort, and diminishing playing time all point to one thing—Whiteside is no longer welcome in Miami. Much of his disinterest on the court can be traced back to the feeling that he is not as wanted as he used to be when he signed a massive 4-year $98 million deal with the Heat in 2016.
The 7-foot center is at a point in his career when he has to find a team that wants his services and will give him the minutes that he craves. While trading for him seems improbable, he’d have no problem finding a new NBA home if he chooses to be a free agent and takes a pay cut. More than a few teams will at least give him a look. He is too young (he turns 30 next month) and too talented not to be courted by teams looking to upgrade their center position.
It’s a lot to ask a player to let go of a guaranteed $27 million to be happier elsewhere. But money, as they say, can’t buy happiness. Whiteside should think long and hard about the possibility that he could get a long-term offer elsewhere even if the deal is cheaper on a yearly basis. If he wants to regain his significance on the court, that’s a price that he has to pay.
Who knows? He might even become an All-Star for another team if he plays his cards right.
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