The Miami Heat could get its starting center Hassan Whiteside back on the floor on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The big man has missed the team's last nine games with a hip flexor injury, rendering him unable to return to the court during his team's heavily-contested playoff race.

Whiteside had pushed for a return in Tuesday's home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the coaching staff chose to have him run Tuesday and then participate in Wednesday's practice, putting him in position to play Thursday against the visiting Bulls.

Thursday's probable return works out in his favor, playing a team that is still experimenting on different lineups and in the running for one of the worst records in the league while aiding his seventh-seeded Heat to keep that spot for a potential matchup against the Boston Celtics in the first round.

Whiteside originally injured his hip during a morning shootaround before his team took a win over the visiting Washington Wizards on Mar. 10.

The Heat have been thin at the front lines, relying on seven-footer Kelly Olynyk to take the reins with rookie center Bam Adebayo dealing with a sprained left ankle, which he sustained in Sunday's overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on the road.

Whiteside's last game was one of his brightest offensively this season, dropping 26 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting, along with eight rebounds against rival big man Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Mar. 8.