With the trade market heating up, one of the bigger names that has been thrown around quite a bit is that of Hassan Whiteside of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Whiteside has been outstanding for the Blazers all season long, averaging 16.0 points (61.1 percent shooting), 14.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 3.1 blocks in 30.8 minutes per contest. However, with Jusuf Nurkic on the comeback trail, it appears that Portland's front office are now looking to sell high on the former Miami Heat big man.

For his part, however, it seems that Whiteside would prefer to stay in Portland if given a choice. So much so, that the 30-year-old has already invested on some real estate in the city.

“I hope not,” he said, via Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I bought a house here.”

Whiteside arrived in Portland during the offseason in a four-team trade that centered around Jimmy Butler. The 7-foot center was merely one of the trading pieces that was moved in order to make this deal work out, but as it turns out, Whiteside has been one of the biggest steals in last summer's trade frenzy.

Whiteside spent five rollercoaster seasons with the Heat before he finally parted ways with the organization. Despite the ups and downs in Miami, it was still a productive five years for him, and it remains to be his goal to stay with the Blazers for a similar amount of time.

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“I just want to be on a team for a long time,” Whiteside said.

It is worth noting, however, that Whiteside is on an expiring deal, and that he will become a free agent in the summer. It will be interesting to see how things pan out for him over the next few days, as whatever happens between today and the trade deadline will certainly have a significant impact on the rest of his career.