The Miami Heat faces multiple questions surrounding its roster heading into next season. Only a year removed from doling out long-term contracts to Dion Waiters, James Johnson, and Rodney McGruder, the Heat will now have to evaluate Hassan Whiteside's future with the organization.
According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Whiteside's time with the Heat could be coming to an end, given the year-long disarray between his multiple injuries and tittering playing time throughout the season.
“The elephant in the room, and not because of anything approaching oversized play in the playoffs,” wrote Winderman. “Between Erik Spoelstra's seeming greater comfort with Kelly Olynyk and Bam Adebayo to an overall NBA style that has reduced the impact of power players, the ultimate questions are whether the Heat would be willing to trade Whiteside for pennies on the dollar or to continue to stomach the upcoming dollars.”
Spoelstra has indeed found a new gem in Kelly Olynyk, who signed with the team the last offseason. His 37 minutes in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers led the team, also leading them in scoring with 18 points, while registering six rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block.
Unlike Whiteside, Olynyk is a jack of all trades and a much-improved defender. Whiteside is a points and rebounds guy, which they virtually drafted in the evolving Bam Adebayo — and the latter's defense is only bound to get even better, while Whiteside has shown his is declining by the minute.
The 7-footer signed a four-year, $98 million deal in 2016, but neither his play, nor his durability have lived up to the contract, money the Heat could use to honor their other hefty contracts in hopes to see the playoffs again next season.
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