There has been some talk that the Miami Heat could potentially trade big man Hassan Whiteside, but Heat president Pat Riley says that no such discussions have been going on:
“There's nothing going on,” said Riley, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “He's going to come to training camp like everybody else this year and earn it.”
Whiteside is entering the final year of his contract and is set to earn $27.1 million next season after opting in.
He is coming off a 2018-19 campaign in which he played 72 games and made 53 starts, averaging 12.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over 23.3 minutes per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 44.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Due to the emergence of young center Bam Adebayo, who appeared in all 82 contests and started 28 of them, Whiteside has become more expendable, plus the fact that he has been a disappointment since signing his four-year, $98 million deal back in 2016.
While his counting numbers have been solid, particularly during the 2016-17 season when he registered 17.0 points, 14.1 boards and 2.1 blocks per game, he has not improved in any one area, as his offensive game has remained limited and his defense has actually remained questionable outside of his ability to block shots.
In a league where floor spacing and defensive versatility reigns supreme, guys like Whiteside are being phased out, which is a big reason why the 30-year-old decided to opt into the final year of his deal heading into 2019-20.
Whiteside owns career averages of 13.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
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